Tantalus Tales
by On the write lines
Summary: The Tantalus Theatre Troupe is introduced to a brand new member. He's blond and sports a monkey tail. He's not much of a talker, but he does have a natural talent for stealing! The story of how Zidane was found by Baku, and grows up to become the Mr Tribal we all know and love.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – A Strange Tail**

"Where the hell is he?" the large hulk snarled. "I'm gonna kill 'im!"

Someone shouted a warning but feet thundered up the stairs to the sleeping quarters regardless. A bed was turned over, blankets flying, but there was no-one there. Next the cupboard was thrust open, followed by the dusty chest in the corner. Huffing and puffing, the man discovered them to be empty. He ran his hands through his dark purple hair. Every trace of the boy was gone.

Gingerly, Blank put his head around the door. "Boss?" he asked, slightly unsure whether he would get an answer or a thump. "Is it true?"

"Yeah, he did it for real this time. He's left Tantalus!" Baku wasn't the type of man to get sentimental over his troupe, but Zidane had been, well...special.

The teenager stepped into eerie silence. They had slept in and shared this room for over seven years, and to see it empty, without his best friend swinging from the wooden beams and throwing something at him left Blank with a strange feeling. Memories of Tribal surfaced: lounging on the bed to whistle cheerful tunes. The endless questions he would ask about women that Blank could never answer. All the hours they'd spent learning lines and practising fighting sequences. Was it really all over?

 _I knew he'd been acting weird since the birthday party, but I never thought the idiot would actually leave!_

He spotted something taped on the telescope near to the window, an old drawing with scrawny stickmen. The two figures held swords and were duelling. Gazing at it brought Blank nothing but a horrible squeeze in his chest. "Little bro," he whispered. The paper was immediately crushed into a ball. He threw it hard and watched it bounce harmlessly off the opposite wall.

"Now don't be like that, darlin." A slender hand covered in white lace picked up the picture and began to smooth it out again.

"Did _you_ help him, Rubes?" He scowled.

"Whatcha yer gonna do if I did?"

Nothing, he would do nothing because Zidane was long gone. Even if they left now, where would they look? They could search for years and still never find him, the world was a big place.

The leader of Tantalus stood up and glared. "Interfering woman! He's out there – alone!"

Most would have flinched at the sharp tone, but Ruby was made of sterner stuff. She had nursed the majority of the thieves back to health at some point. She'd seen them drunk, even naked (not through choice) and offered a friendly ear. Baku could be terrible when roused but even she could see he was just upset. He'd lost one of his boys.

But they hadn't seen the look of desperation on Zidane's face when he begged her for help. 'Rubes, please.' she remembered him saying with those large, puppy dog eyes. 'It's driving me crazy! I have to know, and you're the only one I can trust with this!'

She'd tried to convince him to stay, but when the boy was fixated on something he couldn't let it go. So in the end, it was Ruby who had hidden his bulky back pack and played look out whilst he made an escape. She would never forget the way he turned, blew a kiss in her direction, before disappearing into the night...

Suddenly she was jolted back to reality as something was waved in front of her face. "Gaia to Ruby, Gaia to Ruby!"

The young woman swotted Blank's hand away. "Tribal's got food, the clothes on his back and a sharp brain. You've always said that's all a man needs to survive. Or is that just hogwash?" Baku grumbled but did not reply. "He has a right to find his 'ome!" she pressed.

This made the large man sigh and shake his head. "He won't find his home."

Both of the youngsters looked at each other with surprise. "Wha' do yer mean?" they asked in unison. Baku seemed so certain like he was holding something back.

"The only thin' Zidane can remember about his homeland is a blue light." He huffed.

The red head leaned against the wall. "You can't be serious?"

"He did mention summat about all that," Ruby said thoughtfully. "Little guy was hazy on the details, but he really wanted to try!"

Blank rolled his eyes. "What's he supposed to say? 'Hey, you seen a place with a bright blue light round here?' He'll be laughed out of town – that's if they don't think he's _crazy_ first!" He looped a finger near to his temple to emphasize the point.

"That good for nothin' scamp." Baku turned to look out the window. "After everythin' I've done for 'im! You'd think I'd earned a bit of loyality after seven years." He sat down heavily on the bed, a growl rumbling deep within his throat. The leader of Tantalus glanced at Blank who looked like he'd been kicked in the nuts. "Do yer remember when he first arrived?"

The red head leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. "Like I could forget _that!_ " he said and Baku smirked. "Geez, he was such a pain."

* * *

 ** _Spring, 1787, seven years ago._ **

Baku awoke that bright sunny morning nursing the mother of all hangovers. The birds were singing their happy song and already the buzz of people getting on with their day drifted through the open window. He scratched his arse and tried to swallow to moisten his throat, but it was as if someone had poured a whole sack of gravel down there. _Curse that Trent, h_ _e better be sufferin' as much as I am!_ He thought bitterly. The bed creaked as he wobbled to stand and slowly he staggered towards the bathroom.

After a quick wash and tidy up, Baku leafed through the Lindblum Times trying to distract himself. There wasn't much in the way of news today: Regent Cid and Lady Hilda were celebrating their first wedding anniversary, and a shooting star had been spotted by enthused astrologists in the skies last night. He stared at the crossword for a while but found it to be a waste of time. His brain struggled to think straight as the clues swam before his tired eyes. Placing both elbows on the table he moaned as he rested his head into them.

"Geez, don't tell me yer went drinkin' with Trent _again_ , old man?" a disapproving voice piped in his ear. "Don't yer ever learn?"

Baku lifted his head. "Less of the old, yer cheeky little brat!" The red haired child in front of him tutted at his outburst. This was Blank, the youngest member of Tantalus to date and also the one with the biggest mouth. To say Blank had a chip on his shoulder was a major understatement, what with the back chatting he often gave. If it hadn't been for Marcus, Baku would have thrown the kid off the top of the clocktower by now. The kid did have issues though, not least to say the numerous scars he possessed all over his body. But he'd long given up trying to talk to the boy about _them_.

"Feelin' a little fragile, eh?" Blank whistled, whilst parking himself on a stool at the other end of the large round table. Playing cards were scattered over its scratched wooden surface, along with empty glasses and coloured flyers. "So, any interesting plans for today, Boss? Wanna teach me some thieving skills?"

The older man huffed. "As if! The only thin' you'll be doin' is earning yer keep. The laundry basket's had yer name on it for the past three days!" he said scanning the lofty room. "Shelves are due for dustin' and fix that hole in yer blinking trousers, how many times have I told yer?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll do it soon."

Baku thumped his fist on the table. "You'll do it today, or I'll take away visitin' privileges for the Prima Vista!"

At such a threat the child froze. The Prima Vista was a large airship that Blank adored watching more than anything else. Airships were the transport of choice for the regency of Lindblum and there were hundreds that left the city dockyards every day. Whether it be to take passengers for leisure, establish trade routes or post soldiers to out of reach areas - they were vital. Such large, wonderous machines with their propellers powered by the thick mist that gave the continent its name. There were other ways to get around of course, but none as romantic as flying high in the skies.

"I'll do it now!" Blank hastily replied. He knocked over the stool in his sudden quest to find a sewing kit.

Now a loud toll sounded making the clocktower shake and come alive. The big bulky bell had rang in the towers for as long as Baku could remember, and that was as far back as 1760. On its shiny bronze shell was a band of engraved crescent moons, stars and circles to symbolise the sun. The folks in the Theatre District had named it as Old Ben, although no one could quite recall why. Tantalus headquarters where Baku and his thieves lived, had to share their 'home' with the clock's mechanism. This included a number of cogs embedded into the floor, large metallic shafts that stuck out from the walls and heavy rachets that joined and turned everything together in union. On the hour every hour, Old Ben chimed, nearly making the occupants deaf but over time the thieves had learnt to block out the disturbance.

But today, even Old Ben was far too much for Baku to take. He had to retreat out the door and headed straight towards Lindblum's Grand Harbour. If there was just one place he might find some comfort it had to be there! The walk helped to clear his head slightly but the busy city never stopped to pause for a breather. And why should it? Lindblum had at least three distinct districts: Theatre, Industrial and Business. At last count the number of people living here was close to sixty thousand, just one more amazing fact about this metropolis of the modern age governed by Regent Cid. The city had become a magnet for many different races: humans, hippos, rats and birds that wanted to carve out a life for themselves. Some owned small businesses, others preferred manual labour and the aristocracy as always, just enjoyed spending money.

Baku didn't really mind the population increasing. As far as he was concerned the more folks that came to live here, the more pockets there were to pick. Food didn't just magically appear on the table. But when considering if he actually liked such a diverse mix of citizens, he did have opinions on that. The rats he kept away from as he felt they couldn't be trusted, and birds were a nightmare to trade with as they were so picky. Hippos...Now hippos he liked. They could eat, drink and have fun with the best of them and they spoke their minds plainly. Fellow humans weren't like that. There were some pretty bad apples out there as with every species. Humans had agendas, desires and ambitions that could make or destroy them. There were others however, who tried to create a strong community spirit and see the good in everyone. You had admire people like that, and hope more of them were born into the world to replace the deadbeats.

As Baku stomped along holding his sore head, he came upon the harbour. A number of large sea ships had docked ready to pick up supplies. Baku admired them for a while and pondered about a life on the seas. He wondered if the Blue Narciss, Regent Cid's own personal boat could even be a patch on the Prima Vista, alas the leader of the Theatre Troupe was not allowed to take it for a spin! The daydreaming cheered him a little as a light breeze tickled the purple whiskers on his nose. He slouched over the rail and closed his eyes, hearing the seagulls circling above waiting for the fishing boats to return. _Just let me stay like this for a while..._ He sighed.

"Hey stop, thief!"

Baku cringed. _Damn it!_ _Who's spotted me now?_ Swiftly in his head he tried to remember the thefts he'd authorised recently. Who would recognise him in the cold light of day? This was one of many risks in a career of thievery. Although to be fair, he would only steal from those who could afford it. He was steadily gathering a group of orphans with hungry mouths to feed through no fault of his own.

"Stop, thief!"

Now came the whistles and the police as well. Baku gritted his teeth and turned ready to face the music. "Come on now guys, I'm just an ol' man-" He saw a blond haired youth flash by being chased by the mob.

 _What the heck was that just now?_ He thought with confusion. _A monkey tail?_ Baku strained to see more but the crowd had made their way towards the jetty. Without hesitation, he raced to follow.


	2. The Monkey Tail Boy

**Chapter 2 – The Monkey Tail Boy**

It looked more like a half starved animal than a human, with long greasy locks the colour of tatty hay obscuring his face. Two wild bulging eyes tried to make sense of the angry, threatening faces of the crowd. The child's monkey tail twitched back and forth as he gave a low growl.

"Get him!" a woman shrieked. "He stole one of my loaves, filthy urchin!"

One of the Regent's officers came forward, Mr William Clatterbridge. "Bet, don't get yourself so worked up. I'll deal with this!" A horrible shrill emitted from Clatterbridge's silver whistle and his face steadily turned purple as he blew harder and harder trying to command some sort of order.

Baku watched the scene unfold with an uncomfortable feeling brewing inside his stomach, he wished it was just simple indigestion. Any self preserving thief would just turn away and head to the nearest coffee house. The Tantalus leader could taste the delicious mocha coffee already, memories of the enticing flavour teased his taste buds. He recalled how the heady aroma always seemed to help ease his aching body; would that not be a better way to end the morning?

 _Keep moving. That's it, one foot in front of the other! This ain't nothing to do with you._ He grimaced it was a half hearted effort, a snail's pace. Suddenly Baku was aware that the woman's infernal shrieking was growing louder and louder, he couldn't help but turn to look.

The monkey boy backed away steadily onto the jetty leading out towards the open sea. It was a simple walkway; made from numerous planks fitted side by side with thick wooden stumps available to tie up smaller boats. Atop the stumps were glass lamps, these were lit at night to guide latecomers safely back into the harbour. He took one quick glance at the water and shook his head. Then his gaze returned to the shouting pack in front of him and that didn't seem very appealing either!

"Hand over the bread, son," William said with a disapproving frown.

 _No, mine!_ The child thought clinging to it ever more tightly. His stomach had gone beyond irritating rumblings, these pains felt as though someone was stabbing him in the belly. The man standing above him looked plump and round like a pig. He wore a claret jacket one size too small so it appeared the shiny golden buttons might fly off at any given moment.

Clatterbridge tried to snatch the food away and was rewarded with teeth into flesh. Immediately he yelled and jerked his hand back, cradling it to his chest. The young boy tried to make a run for it but was caught by the ankle. He clawed at one of lamps trying to hold onto something solid, but it fell and smashed, leaving pieces of glass to shower over the floor. The unexpected noise caused some of the group to scream.

"You're making things worse for yourself!" Mr Clatterbridge snarled, his fingers squeezed around the thin bony ankle, there was hardly anything to it. "Stop wriggling!" he demanded.

The kid however was stubborn and he growled back at the officer, even going so far as to spit and hiss at him. _Let go! Let go! Let go!_ He repeated over and over in his head. All the while the audience continued to grow. What had started as an outrage for Betty the Baker's sake was fast becoming free entertainment for the throng. Young men with time on their hands had snuck into the crowd swelling the numbers still further. So many unfriendly brows beat down on the blond, but still he would not yield.

 _Just give it up already!_ Baku clenched his fist _._ It was hard to tell from a distance but he reckoned the boy had to be younger than Blank. That would make him no older than six, but what was he doing out here alone? Did he just wander into Lindblum from somewhere nearby? He considered this and then shook his head. _No, I've never seen no one with tails like that on my travels._

"Thief! Thief! Thief!" the mob started to chant.

One of the group picked up a pebble and threw it. This was quickly followed by another and by the time Clatterbridge realised things were getting out of hand it was all too late. "Now, now, folks there's no need for violence here!"

But the crowd had other ideas, pebbles continued to be thrown and the child was forced to shuffle and retreat backwards. As the small projectiles thudded against his small frame the only consolation he had was that his ankle had been set free. _Everything hurts!_ He cowered still squeezing the loaf against his chest. The hollow emptiness of his stomach had become so bad that it screamed out in pain. The roar of the voices seemed to grow louder making his head spin. _I have to get away!_

Watching the boy scraping through the pieces of broken glass was too much for Baku. He straightened his belt and readjusted the goggles he was wearing. With that he strode forward forcing his way through until he was standing in front of everyone. "Stop this crap!" he shouted brandishing his own sword. "You want to stone the boy? What is this the dark ages?" Without flinching he glared at them standing as a shield between the child and the horde, their faces fell becoming abashed.

 _It stopped?_ The boy peered fearfully around him not daring to believe his change in fortune. All the angry faces however were turned towards another, a large stocky man with grey skin and two pointy ears which stood to attention. _Who is this?_ He blinked in confusion. _I don't understand..._

Betty stepped forward pointing a long accusing finger. "He's a thief – stole one of my loaves!"

The Tantalus leader looked down at the pathetic excuse for a human being, two teary blue eyes stared back at him in wonder. In a heartbeat Baku snatched the loaf and held it out to the old woman. "Here, have it back!" he said with a loud guffaw.

Unimpressed Betty wrinkled up her nose with disgust. "No," she snapped. "He's had his dirty mitts all over it! Who'd want to eat that? He either pays for it or I'll have my pound of flesh, mark my words! Isn't that right, Will?"

Clatterbridge only coughed.

Two pointed ears drooped and reluctantly Baku searched his pockets. "Fine, how much do yer want for it?"

"Finest loaves they are! My boys break their backs working in the fields and my 'usband grinds the wheat to make flour-"

"I'm not askin for its life story woman, I'm asking how much it is!"

Betty suddenly smiled. "Quality loaf like that is worth least ten gil."

"Ten gil! And you have the cheek to call _this kid_ a thief?" Baku wanted to swear at the witch but managed to hold his tongue. The old woman stared back at him immovable as a mountain. "Right... here!" He nearly threw the coins but thought better of it. Two skeletal hands snatched them out of sight and at long last the hag seemed satisfied. "I hope yer choke on one of yer rotten loaves!" he called after the crone, whose cackling laugh rang all the way down the street.

With the excitement over the crowd started to dwindle away from the harbour. Clatterbridge remained, watching the child who was currently pulling at the loaf lodged in Baku's right hand. The blond succeeded to rip off a small piece which he devoured immediately.

"What do you think you're doing, hmm?" Will asked the man with the bushy purple beard. "Don't you already have ten orphans staying at your place? How do you expect to feed them all?"

"There's only three," Baku muttered although he suspected that Ruby might be joining them sometime soon, "And anyways it ain't none of your damn business what I do!"

The child felt himself being picked up and tucked under a muscly arm. _Where are you taking me?_ He began to panic and struggled against the strange man whose grip was as strong as iron. _Let me go!_ But suddenly the remaining loaf he'd been craving all morning was shoved roughly into his mouth!

"Shut yer noisy hole and eat the damn bread!" Baku scowled. "Since I paid ten bleedin gil for the privilege!" The child started to eat, the distraction of food enough to stop his squirming. With peace restored he bid the officer good morning and started his way back home.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the clock tower in the Theatre District a frustrated red head was trying to sew up a hole in his spare trousers. It had taken nearly five minutes for Blank to thread some cotton through the needle's eye, nevermind mending the garment. Perched on a table a little girl swung her legs. He could feel her grey eyes on him watching with amusement.

"You want a hand with that, darlin?"

"I don't need help," he snapped back, "Especially from you. Why do you keep coming round here anyway? Haven't you got a home to go to?"

Her smile slipped. "Pa goes out drinking tonight...I just don't like being in the way when he gets 'ome."

"These days your old man goes on a bender every night," Blank said dryly.

"That's not true!" she flared but it didn't sound convincing.

The other child could still see the yellowy bruises on her arm, these combined with a black eye looked weird on the eight year old. In fact it made him angry when he thought about it although he would never tell _her_ that. Ruby was built like a doll all white pale skin, long grey hair and spindly thin legs. Her dream was to become an actress or something in the theatre world, it was a stupid dream.

She came to crouch down next to him. "Do you think the Boss will mind?"

"Nah, course not." In vain he attempted to pull the fabric together but his stitches were spaced too far apart and everything bunched together. "Arrr!" he growled with frustration. "I hate doing stuff like this!"

"Give it to me before you poke your little ol' eye out!" She laughed as he finally surrendered the trousers with a pout.

The door swung open making them both jump, a teenager holding a gigantic chest came waddling in.

"Marcus! You're back!" Immediately Blank leapt up and cleared the table to make space for the new found treasures.

"Thanks brother," Marcus said with a smile and took off his bandana for a moment to wipe the sweat away from his brow. "Trying to get this back in one piece was a pain, but I think it'll be worth it."

Like children on Christmas morning they began to unpack the contents. There was a velvet hat with an extravagant purple plume, a pair of rusty copper gauntlets, strings of coloured beads, a helmet, several wigs of varying colours, a walking cane, jar of marbles, rolls of ribbon and a silk waistcoat. It was an impressive haul.

Tantalus Headquarters was already a jumble of all sorts of props and costumes that were hung up, stacked or stored lovingly in every corner. For the children it was like stepping into another world at times. One day Baku might wear a cutlass and an eye patch pretending to be a pirate. The next he was a wise wizard and after that a dragon! You could never tell what he might become from one day to the next. It was incredibly fun for the children but there was a serious side to it too. Baku was in the process of setting up a Theatre Troupe, a group of actors that would perform shows to make serious money. Unfortunately his efforts to capture the audience's imagination had so far fallen flat on its face.

Blank seized the opportunity to get dressed up. "Look at me, the proper gentleman!" he attempted with a posh accent. His friends fell about with laughter as he began to saunter around the room. The way he carried the cane, twirling it with a flourish and then a bow had them rolling on the floor.

"If that ain't the funniest sight I ever saw!" Ruby giggled. "Don't cha think so, Marcus?"

"Yeah, hilarious, you should be on stage."

Blank stopped suddenly and began to toss the items back into the box. "I'd just scare away the punters." He shrugged. A frown appeared on Marcus' face and for a moment a tense silence passed between them.

"Well," she said standing up. "I'll give these clothes a goin over and maybe Cinna can work his magic on these rusty gloves, huh?"

"Sounds good," Marcus agreed circling his tired arms. "Where is that lazy bum anyway?"

"In the cellar, where else?" Blank said with hooded eyes. "He's been promising to fix my dagger for like an age!"

The youths complained a little longer about the chef come black smith of Tantalus before they heard screaming coming from outside. They exchanged glances as once again the door burst open, cold air blew into the room along with Baku who was struggling somewhat.

"Boss!" they called out.

"This brat owes me money!" He threw the youngster in their general direction. Three sets of confused blinking eyes stared at the new child and then back at their leader. "He stinks! Give him a bath! And Ruby my dear, I need a drink, something strong, _very_ strong!"

"Comin right up, Boss!" Ruby said brightly as she went to the pantry.

 _What is this place?_ The boy asked himself as he lay stunned on his back. Everything about this building was strange: it smelt funny but was bursting with tatty, curious objects he had never seen before. He rolled over and watched as a boy with short red hair stared at him for a moment.

The red head's response was not so enthusiastic. "No way! I'm not bathing some little snot nosed brat!"

Unfortunately for Blank, Baku was deadly serious. "Do you want a thump, lad? I've been bitten, spat on and scratched to hell! I'm going for a lie down!" With that he stomped up the stairs leaving them alone.

"Humph! Howz about that?" Blank grumbled. "What are we supposed to do with _this_?"

 _Is he talking about me?_ The blond boy's eyes instinctively narrowed.

Marcus sighed and started to roll up his sleeves. "Well, the Boss said give him a bath. So we give him a bath, right?"

* * *

 **Author's note -**

It is easier for Blank to thread the eye of a needle than to give Zidane a bath! ;)

Hope you're enjoying the story so far.

I got my dusty old Final Fantasy IX guide out the other day and it brings back so many memories!


	3. Bath Time

**Chapter three – Bath time**

Upon being left alone with the other children, the newcomer's eyes went wide as saucers darting from one corner of the room to the other. He tried to stand up but dramatically collapsed, and on all fours he skittered away, retreating until his back thumped against a wall. He cried out and looked wildly at them as though they were monsters about to eat him. _Keep away from me!_ He thought chest heaving up and down in rapid, desperate breaths.

"Aw, poor thing!" Ruby said walking over with a double shot of whisky.

Blank studied the new recruit and found him wanting. "What a wimp!" he huffed. "Oww! What the hell was that for?!" The sudden elbow to his ribs had taken the thief by surprise.

She shook her head. "You should be ashamed! Don't seem that long ago Marcus found you in a right state too, or did yer forgit that, huh?" The younger boy pulled a face as she climbed the stairs only to have her turn suddenly. "Don't just stand there cowboys! Make yerself useful and get him undressed! Lucky for you the water's been bubblin a good while now, just giv' me a minute to take this up to the Boss."

"Get him undressed?" Marcus repeated glancing at the flimsy flaps of material the youngster wore. "What kind of clothes are they supposed to be, anyway? Looks like somethin from a circus..." In another time they used to be blue with white stripes but now he was caked in black soot and who knew what else. They'd have to find him something new to wear, not that they were short of costumes exactly, but he was on the small side. He sighed. _We'll worry about that later..._

A _lot_ later the two friends found themselves red faced and exhausted. Catching the rascal had turned out to be easier said than done. Despite appearing to be nothing but a bag of bones he was very nimble. Every time they tried to catch him, he would somersault out of harm's way or dive underneath a piece of furniture.

Marcus tried to reason with the frightened boy. "Come on, it's only a bath - won't kill yer!"

"But I might..." Blank promised, his thoughts turning increasingly violent as the struggle went on. He decided to try a more direct approach. "I bet you're hungry, aren't you?" Tentatively, he held out the shiny green apple towards his target.

The blond eyed the fruit and his stomach gave another low growl. _I wonder what it tastes like?_ He thought finding his mouth salivating at the prospect. However, when his blue eyes flickered to the red head he began to think twice.

"I know you want it! Juicy, yummy, mmm..." Blank teased.

 _I don't trust you._ The boy could feel the hairs on his tail bristling. _But I'm still hungry!_ In the end, despite his misgivings he took the bait and dived.

As soon as the blond made his move the two Tantalus members countered, Blank restrained his arms and Marcus went for the legs. They were surprised at the sheer strength of the monkey tailed kid. His limbs jolted, wriggled and rammed against them. He wasn't just struggling, it was like he was fighting for his life!

Marcus could feel their grip already beginning to loosen. "Water would be good about now!"

"Nearly ready boys!" Ruby sang pouring a small bucket of cooler water into the tin bath. The fire was burning merrily as was tradition on Saturdays when all members of the team had their only 'thorough' wash of the week. There was no running hot water and as things stood Baku didn't have an endless sack of coal to use for such luxuries either. "Okay, bring 'im over!"

He screamed and lashed out. _No! Let go! Let go!_

Blank was punched hard in the nose, the excruciating pain took him by surprise so he had to let go. The trio could only watch helplessly as the child jumped up onto a gigantic cog which was a part of the clock tower mechanism. With his tail as a balance he swung up and over navigating a path of smaller cogs until he had reached one of the support beams near the ceiling. Here he rested looking down at the group, his face flushed and panting like a wild dog.

"Well that just made things more complicated!" Marcus crossed his arms.

Still nursing his throbbing nose, Blank cursed the monkey tailed boy to high heaven. "Is that my apple he's eating?" he snarled, feeling the blood rushing to his head. _"_ I'm gonna tan the hide of that brat!"

Meanwhile up above the contented child was making short work of the apple. It hadn't been what he'd expected at all, with the shiny skin only a thin layer hiding the delicious white flesh beneath. Such a delight he'd never dreamed of, as the juice dribbled down his chin and coated his fingers making them sticky. He pat his stomach with a small smile.

A fourth youth came over to join them, he craned his neck trying to get a good look at whatever had captured his friends' interest. "Who's that then?" he asked swinging a hammer over his shoulder.

"Hey Cinna," Marcus greeted him briefly. "That's meant to be our new member."

"That shrimp?" the young man said in disbelief. He was fifteen years old with a nose as red as a clown's. His face was far too wide and round to be considered attractive, so Cinna had taken to growing facial hair as soon as possible to cover it up. "Okay, so what's he doing up there?"

"He's a little... strange."

"Should fit right in then!" He gave a hearty chuckle.

"We're trying to give him a bath but...Yeah, he escaped up there."

Cinna assessed the situation and strode over to clock face to study it before nodding. "Bring the bath 'ere directly under him."

"Whut in tarnation are you doin?" Ruby protested as the three males scraped the heavy tub across the wooden floor boards onto a mat. They then heaved the mat and brought it directly underneath the beam.

Expectantly the Troupe stared at Cinna who only held a smug smile on his face.

"Well?" Marcus said, "What's the plan?"

"Just wait."

The friends waited patiently in silence. An apple core was thrown down, followed by a loud belch.

"What the hell are we waiting for?!" Blank demanded unable to stand still.

"Uh – uh, wait one more minute..."

They did so until at last it was three o'clock in the afternoon. The cogs came to life squeaking and turning, only then did they understand.

The monkey tailed boy peeked over the edge at the children standing next to the vessel of water. He didn't like water, water made him cold and wet. When he'd first opened his eyes water had been falling from the sky in thick heavy sheets. He had no idea where he was and what had happened to him. He had wandered aimlessly until his stomach was doubled over in pain. It was then of course from watching the locals that he realised food was needed, but when he had taken some food for himself all those people began to chase him through the streets. They'd been so angry and threw stones at him, the cuts on his arms were still throbbing and raw.

Suddenly a great noise rang out. _Bong! Bong! Bong!_ It went. He covered his ears in terror. _What is this? Why is it hurting?_ He lost his balance and tumbled. As he fell he saw a large domed object swinging to and fro, then the next minute his body had smacked into the water. He gasped and fought to get out, but four pairs of hands grabbed him preventing his escape. His soggy clothes were stripped away. He was being pushed down. _No!_ He tried to scratch at them. _Just leave me alone!_

"Stop complaining!" the red haired boy told him.

A brush was brought out and the one known as 'Blank' yanked his tail to make it straight. After that the brush was scrubbed mercilessly over and over. The older boy had an odd scar on the right side of his face, it was fascinating to look at.

"Quit staring you little runt!" Blank snarled.

"Hey, quit it yerself!" Ruby snapped at him. "Ya can see the poor guy's terrified. Stop yappin and keep scrubbin ain't no way we're done yet!"

This water was blissfully warm and full of white soap that caused bubbles to rise and dance into the air. The monkey tailed boy relaxed slightly and allowed the children to put a strange gloopy liquid onto his hair, he quite liked the soothing motions of the girl's hands on his scalp. _That feels nice..._ He gave a loud sigh which made the girl giggle. The bath continued for a good ten minutes until the group were satisfied and lifted him out.

They wrapped him up in something large and fluffy. He felt dizzy from the water and swayed, the red head caught him. "Watch what yer doin!"

Marcus peeked dubiously at the water left in the tub. "Think I'll pass on a bath tonight."

"Don't cha worry partner! Baku said I can make up a fresh tub of water just this once!" Ruby informed him.

"So generous," he replied with a smirk.

* * *

After a time Baku yawned and stretched, aware that the ruckus below had finally died down. Making his way downstairs he could hear a curious snipping sound.

"How long is this gonna take?"

 _Blank sounds about as happy as usual!_ He thought glumly. _  
_

"Jus hold yer horses! Cuttin hair ain't an easy thin to do! If he's wigglin it goes all cock eyed and I have to get it straight again!" She heard the familiar heavy footsteps behind her and smiled. "Hey Boss! Did yer have a nice nap?"

Baku had to laugh, the monkey boy had scrubbed up well but was being pinned to the stool by his boys. He looked incredibly fed up with the whole situation.

 _It's that man again._ Two steely blue eyes glared at him. _What does he want?_ It still didn't make any sense to the child why the giant had brought him here. He wondered whether making an escape was the right thing to do. Then he realised, where would he run to? He didn't know anyone or how things worked, it was different from...home. _Where is home? Why can't I remember?_

The Tantalus leader could see Ruby hunched over with a pair of scissors trying to complete the haircut with a small mountain of blond hair at her feet. She'd done a pretty good job at the front layering the hair perfectly, but it seemed that the newbie had had quite enough.

"Gwahahaha! That'll do for now."

Ruby protested, "But I haven't even finished the back!"

He considered this and wandered over to the chest on the table. The thief rummaged for a while and finally produced a strand of teal blue ribbon. "Ere, use this." He gave it to Ruby.

With his hair smartly tied back in a ponytail it was at last possible to see the face of their newest recruit. It turned out a handsome little boy with high cheek bones and flawless skin had been hidden away all along! _He'll break a few hearts when he's older!_ Baku grinned to himself. The get up for the child suited him quite well too: a small pair of brown breeches with a long leather belt that had to be wound around his waist several times, a simple white shirt with a ruffled collar and boots.

"Don't he look cute?" Ruby went to pat the youngster innocently on the head.

As her hand reached over the boy's heart sped up ten to the dozen. _Don't touch me!_ He shirked away, the look on the girl's face haunting him. Unable to understand why she wanted to in the first place, his eyes remained fixed on the floor.

"Aww..." She was disappointed. "But I thought we were buddies now."

The leader smiled at her kindly. "Be patient, I've seen that look before. The only thin' this kid knows is fear."

"But we ain't gonna hurt im!"

"Yeah, but he don't know that!" They both looked across as Marcus coaxed the reluctant newcomer to sit at the table. He encouraged him to eat some soup, but the boy eyed the food suspiciously and took only the smallest of sips. "It's gonna take time for him to trust us."

"Don't he even got a name?" she asked and when he shook his head she added, "That's so sad."

The afternoon drew on and Ruby had to leave Tantalus and return home. She took one last look at the monkey tailed boy, holed up in a corner still sulking. She wondered if the child would be able to survive in Tantalus, it wasn't exactly an easy life.

Blank watched her go and gave the all clear - it was time to get down to business.

"Right, let's start this meeting already!" Baku clapped his hands together and drew up a chair. What followed was a general summary of the heists they had conducted and their current cash flow. As it stood they had saved up a fair amount of gil and the excited man declared they were nearly ready to perform again.

"Boss, do you think another play is a good idea? You know what happened last time." Cinna still remembered their first 'performance' and what a disaster it had been.

To be fair, the acting wasn't the problem per se. The working folk in Lindblum had an appetite for wanting to forget their troubles and have a good time. They didn't appreciate the 'arty farty' gimmicks that had made the play so popular in Treno. They didn't want to think too hard, so trying to perform an intellectual, historical masterpiece was not the smartest move. The failure of opening night had cost Baku: what with refunds, hiring the stage and actors quitting.

"It's perfect timin! We can show the _greenhorn_ over there the ropes and earn enough gil to put down a deposit."

Blank's ears stood to attention. "Deposit for what?"

"Boys..." he paused for dramatic effect. "I'm finally gonna make the Prima Vista ours." Everyone gasped.

"Are you serious, Boss?" The red head could barely contain himself, he stood up and punched the air with jubilation. Ever since Blank had joined the Troupe he'd fallen in love with machines - especially airships. The Prima Vista in his eyes was the jewel in the crown.

Marcus was more sceptical. "Are you sure Trent weren't just playing with yer? I mean, where did he say this, _the pub_?" He ducked as the older man tried to take a swipe at him.

"Ya fool, give me a little credit!"

"Boss, if this is Trent though."

Dolf Trent was an airship pilot from Lindblum born and bred. As a soldier in the Regent Army he was interested in the design of new ships for the Lindblum Imperial Fleet. Trent had invited Baku and his boys onboard one day to show off the beautiful machine and they'd all fallen in love with her. As the current owner Trent had the pleasure of taking her to the skies and kissing the sunrise. Baku dreamed one day to take the Theatre Troupe travelling all around the world on a tour but in order to do that he needed an airship. For years Trent had refused point blank any discussion on the matter, that was until a week ago...

* * *

As old drinking buddies Baku and Dolf often met up for a game of cards. They liked the atmosphere and the opportunity to share news and let their hair down. It was during the early evening that Trent had brought up the Prima Vista while nursing his beer.

"She's a little outdated nowadays." Baku huffed to show his disagreement but continued to listen. "The army want faster and more powerful ships, so they're working on a new project. I've been working with some pretty talented engineers in fact!"

His drinking partner studied the Gigan Toad card in his hand before placing it on the grid. "Is that right?" he said as if discussing the weather.

"Yeah, it's gonna be called the Viltgance, " Dolf continued. "So if a buyer can't be found for the Prima Vista, she'll be melted down for scrap. They'll tear out any components that can be recycled."

Upon hearing this Baku was heartbroken. "Damn it, Trent!" He smacked the tankard down on the table. "Why ain't yer doin something about it? I thought you loved that ship!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing to be done if I don't have the gil. At the end of the day maintaining airships costs money, they not interested in the beauty or history of old ships."

"Fine, I'll buy her!" he said, cheeks glowing a cherry red.

The pilot cocked his head and studied Baku. "Geez, you must have had more than I thought. Where do yer expect to get money like that?"

"I'll find a way. Even if I have to keep payin into my grave!" This comment shocked Dolf more than anything. "I'm swearing on my honour that I'll save her. You can't just let them rip out the heart and soul of Prima Vista!"

"Alright, alright! Give over, yer nutcase. If you can scrape enough gil together for a deposit, I'll do the rest!"

* * *

"And that's the way it is!" Baku finished his tale with a beaming grin. His troupe was astonished their very own ship! Was it truly possible? "We're gonna have to work our butts off for the next couple of years and everyone will have to pull their weight, got it?"

"Yes Boss!" all three chorused.

"Aye, she's not getting away this time." He seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment. The bell chimed again indicating another hour past, but it was accompanied by a queer yell. "What the devil?" Baku cried as he felt something dash past his legs and underneath the table cloth. He leaned over and pulled out the quivering bundle by the scruff of the neck. "Geez kid, even ol' Ben scares yer, eh?"

The child's hands were firmly clamped over his ears trying to stop the sound.

"You'll have to get used to it, lad. You're gonna have to get used to a lot of things round here! Gwahahaha!"

The monkey tailed boy wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He was exhausted but the thought of sleep terrified him. These strangers, he didn't know anything about them, could he trust them?

"When I think of the trouble you caused me today... Now look, dead on yer feet!" Protectively Baku scooped up the child whose eyes were starting to droop. His body felt limp with all the fight having gone out of him.

Sharp as a tack Blank said, "Where's he sleepin anyway?"

"He'll take the spare bunk under yours."

"Over my dead body!"

"That can be arranged," Baku warned with a hiss. He towered over the boy of seven winters and glared. It didn't take long for the Boss to win the staring contest however and Blank averted his heated gaze. "He's a member of Tantalus now," their leader pointed out, "whether you like it or not."

* * *

 **Author's note**

Thank you for reviews and follows. I've quite enjoyed writing this part but trying to keep on top of dialogue is a challenge. Hope everything makes sense and you know who is saying what! Feedback is always appreciated.

All the best.


	4. Blank's Bad Day Part One

**Chapter 4 – Blank's Bad Day, Part One. **

He woke up to the screams coming from down the hallway.

"Mum! Dad?" he called out. The room was in darkness aside from the milky rays of the moon, they transformed the cupboard and toy box into threatening shadowy creatures. A racing heartbeat pounded through his ears, and he tried to take the five deep breaths that his parents taught him to help. Things calmed for a while and he began to wonder if he wasn't just imagining the whole thing. He pulled the blanket up to his chin, still feeling disorientated. If he was wrapped tightly away then nothing bad could get him. He was a big boy now he had to show dad that nothing scared him. _That's right!_ _Nothing scares me._ He shuffled back down into bed and turned over.

But just as the child began to drift off again there was another scream. This time, he knew it was his mother even though her voice sounded strange. His fingers crushed the material between them. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but his whole body tensed. _What's going on?_ A glass smashed downstairs and this was followed by a great rumbling sound. Terrified he found himself frozen to the spot. More screams followed and another voice – deeper, male. The screams stopped. His head snapped toward the door, and with time his eyes adjusted to the dark he could make out the frame and handle. There was a glow coming from underneath the door. Sometimes dad left a candle on the landing, but this gave far more light than usual. It wasn't a golden light either. In fact it was more...red in colour.

He sat up sharply and swung his legs out of the bed. As he stood his feet were greeted by the icy cold floorboards but he didn't notice. He crept toward the source of the strange light, and knew in his gut that something was wrong. His hands reached out and they were met by heat.

 _Don't open it!_

But the child was entranced and without thinking he threw it open. The last thing he saw was a ball of fiery hell...

* * *

The monkey tailed boy had slept very well and rubbed his eyes free from sleep. He was lying on the bottom part of a two tiered bed that squeaked a little when he moved. Above, he could hear someone mumbling and groaning loudly which prompted him to get up. Curiosity getting the better of the child he stood on tip toe to try and get a better look. The cause of the noise turned out to be none other than the red haired boy from the night before. _Blank, wasn't it?_ He tried to recall as the dreamer began to thrash around wildly.

"I said don't!" Blank finally cried out, sweating profusely and trying to catch his breath. _Stupid, stupid dream!_ Still feeling half asleep he beat his palm solidly against his forehead, until at last the familiar sights and smells of the clock tower eventually drifted into focus. He dropped back onto the pillows completely exhausted. "Damn it!" He blinked and then noticed a pair of curious blue eyes peeking over the side of his bunk. "What are you looking at?" he growled. "Get lost!" But the monkey tailed boy did not retreat and the thief was forced to get up himself to escape.

After jumping into a pair of black dungarees and a blue shirt he wandered downstairs and found Baku drinking coffee.

"Another nightmare, huh?"

"Don't even go there..."

The Tantalus leader shrugged his shoulders. "Fair enough, ah." He noticed the new recruit. "Morning little fella, did you sleep better than princess, 'ere?"

The child scratched the back of his head shyly and did not reply.

"Here," Blank said whilst pulling up a chair. "Sit down. You look kinda dumb just standing there." Surprisingly the child did as asked and Baku burst out laughing.

"I think he likes yer!"

"Drop dead, old man."

Suddenly two plates are laid on the table loaded with a fried egg and toast combo. "Mornin bro," Marcus greeted him, "You okay?"

Blank broke off some of his toast and started to dip it in the yolk. "I'm fine."

"Heard you shouting," his friend mentioned whilst pouring some more coffee. The look received in return was crystal clear – drop it. "Yer know where I am," Marcus said as he turned to leave.

"Sure," Blank replied with a half hearted smile. He looked across at his fellow diner and sighed. "What the 'eck are you tryin to do there? You're meant to eat it not kill it!"

The egg had been stabbed several times, making the mustard yellow heart bleed into pure white. The result was a sickening mess and both Baku and Blank were startled when he lifted the plate to his mouth and shovelled the whole lot in!

"That... Is disgusting." The older boy swallowed hard trying to keep his own breakfast down.

 _This kid really is a wild one!_ Baku thought as he took another sip of his coffee.

"That's the last of the eggs by the way!" Cinna's voice called from below. He was busy in the cellar again doing a stock take. "In fact we're running low on a lot of stuff!"

"Make a list!" Baku shouted back. "Blank and the new kid are on shopping duty this mornin!"

"We're what?!"

A small bag of gil chinked as it landed on the table. "Have a quick wash and get all the bits on the list, you got that?"

"But Boss, it'll be a hell of a lot quicker if I go by myself!" Blank sulked.

The man grinned. "What d'yer have to rush for? Take the boy to the dockyard and introduce the Prima Vista, I bet he ain't seen an airship before! Gwahahaha!" He stood up scrapping the chair away from the table. "Jus' make sure you don't lose 'im!"

"Why do _I_ have to babysit? He's such a pain in the arse!"

Baku didn't appreciate the red head's tone. He really had woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. "Yer better watch that mouth o' yours-"

"We don't need 'im! We're fine as we are!"

"Sounds like the green eyed monster payin a visit," Baku muttered. "It don't suit yer well." Disappointed he walked away without saying another word.

 _I hate you!_ Blank glared after the giant, but felt a sting inside his heart. He didn't like it when the Boss sounded like that, almost sad. The monkey tailed boy still gazed up at him expectantly. Blank banged his head on the table in despair. _Why do I have to be stuck with this loser?_

A quick wash turned out to be something of trial. The child glanced at his new toothbrush and shook his head. _No way that's going in my mouth!_

"Don't be such a wuss!" Blank dragged the youngster by his ponytail to the mirror. There was a small tub next to the sink which contained a foamy mixture of bicarbonate of soda and salt. This he smeared onto the bristles and began to brush in circular motions. "Yer she," he said through a mouthful of foam. "Nofink tow it!"

 _I better do it before he hits me!_ He thought copying the older boy, although he wasn't a big fan of the taste. It seemed to take forever before the red head spat out the contents and gargled with more water. He tried to follow but ended up swallowing some of the foam _,_ which made him cough and nearly gag.

"Geez, yer never brushed 'em before or summit?" he asked smacking him hard on the back. When he'd finally stopped choking Blank prised the reluctant mouth open to finish the job. But he was taken by surprise as the monkey tailed boy possessed a complete set of stainless, perfectly white teeth. He frowned. "That'll do for now. We better get going!"

* * *

They headed away from the clock tower towards the station to catch a cab. Taking a seat Blank and his companion stared out the window as parts of the city went streaming by. They arrived in the Industrial District without incident and headed straight towards Zebolt Dockyards. It was a beautiful day and as the sun reflected off the airships they shone like gold. There were a few Dockers about the place keeping an eye on things, but when they spotted Blank they gave a wave.

"You can't be here to see Prima Vista _again_?" one of them asked.

"Course!" He grinned back. "Although really am meant to introduce her to our newest member, that's 'im." His head nodded in the smaller boy's direction.

"There's no denying it, she is pretty special. I was beside myself when they said to melt her down for scrap!"

Blank could sympathise with the man. "No fear, she'll belong to Tantalus soon cos the Boss has the deposit and everythin!"

"Is that so? Well, she'll be goin to a loving new home then! That's great news! Anyway boys gotta run, but take yer time and enjoy the view!"

"Thanks!" He sped down the grated steps. "Yer comin or what?" he yelled back up.

The monkey tailed boy cocked his head in confusion. _Coming to where? But_ before he had the chance to reflect any further Blank had bounded back up the steps and started pulling him by the shirt to the observation platform.

Prima Vista meaning 'First Sight' was an observatory ship owned by the Regent Army of Lindblum. On the bowsprit was a figure with angelic wings, long flowing hair and a mermaid's tail. Four gigantic propellers jutted out from the four towers located at the corners of the ship. At the stern the wood bulged as though fitting over a wide stomach. There were further propellers at the back along with the rudder used to steer the monster of a ship.

"She's a luxury liner, weighs 8235 tonnes and can hold at least 288 guests at one time." Blank reeled off his collection of facts at lightning speed. "But we're gonna turn her into a theatre ship with a stage on the poop deck, sets, costumes, lights – everything. It's gonna be awesome!"

The younger boy leaned over the side to get a better look, the sight simply breath taking. _There's so many things I still don't understand..._ He sighed but turned to Blank and smiled. This response appeared to please the red head.

"You think that's cool? Just wait till we go travelling round the world! We'll get to see Alexandria, Burmecia, Clerya and Treno. Baku says there's even a whole other continent out there! But you have to go across the western sea to see it."

The children continued to watch as more airships came to dock. "In another year Trent's gonna start teaching me how to fly an airship. Kinda like a crash course for dummies - but still, I'm gonna keep it all up here." He tapped the side of his skull as he said this. "When I grow up I'll be the pilot for the Prima Vista, pretty impressive, huh?"

 _Maybe, if I knew what a pilot was..._ But the monkey tailed boy could only blink and say nothing.

"Geez, why am I tellin yer this anyway?" Blank huffed. "Like _you_ know anything!"

It was time to go shopping and so after another trip on the air cab they stepped out into the Business District. The decor of choice for this part of town was blue and coral. There were cobble stones under foot and emerald green tiles on the sloping roofs. Blank took the time to stop and admire the water fountain found in the centre of the square. Around this was painted a sixteen pointed star, there were Roman numerals cast around the edges. The column in the centre was a pointed tower its current shadow cast on XII. The child put his hands into the cool water and made to take a sip but was stopped.

"It's pretty to look at," Blank agreed, "but I wouldn't be drinkin that. Not if yer don't wanna get sick!"

They finally reached the market which was teeming with customers during the lunch hour. Everyone was here from rich nobles with their fancy frocks and silk waistcoats to the more modest working classes. Young boys from the slums were hanging around too waiting on the kindness of strangers. Even though Lindblum was a metropolis, like every major city it still had its fair share of poverty to deal with. Regent Cid was trying his best to solve the problem and not make it worse however, that wasn't an easy task!

"Lemme see now: eggs, tomatoes, flour, bread, milk and pickles? Gross! Hope Cinna isn't makin that weird pasta thing again!" Blank looked up from the list only to find himself alone. _Oh great, where's that brat gone off to?_

A quick scan revealed a lad with blond hair standing near to the milk stand. He was already earning himself a few suspicious looks as he kept trying to pat the cow. When the creature eventually turned its back on him the monkey tailed boy proceeded to pick up bottles, sniff them and then place them back down again. By the time Blank got there the shop attendant's patience was beyond frayed.

"You buying anything?" he said sharply. "Your friend there is giving my Daisy a right funny turn!"

"Yeah... I'll have a pint of yer finest. Sorry bout that! He's er got something wrong up 'ere you know? Really sad case...Anyway, sorry again." He paid for the milk and as they walked away he slapped his charge right across the back of the head. "What yer doin? Wandering off, patting the cow! Yer supposed to stay near me!"

 _Oww! You didn't have to hit me so hard!_ The child growled with irritation.

After that however he made sure to stick to Blank like glue, and carried the large paper bag that was steadily growing heavy with groceries. They were just on their way to collect the flour when suddenly Blank cursed and pulled his confused companion in the opposite direction. They stooped low behind a cart selling scarves and blankets. They peeked through the spokes of the wheels as a shiny, black pair of immaculate shoes stepped into view.

"Well my friends, what shall we do today?" a young voice enquired. Devoid of all accent, pronounced to the letter this was a child from the high end of town.

A purple velvet dress swooped next to the shiny shoes. This was long and flowing with pleats neatly sown down to the ankle. "Oh Frederick, let's take a good look around and buy some sweets!"

"Sounds like a capital idea, Victoria!" yet another voice said. "What do you think, Brooks?"

"Must you sound so common, Sam? Do not give me a nick name! Anyone would think you have not been taught the pwhoper etiquette!"

This was 'The Snobs' as Blank affectionately called them - snobbish by name and snobbish by nature. He'd had run ins with them before - particularly Frederick, they didn't get along. He sighed, all he wanted was the flour and then they could go home. Unfortunately the bags of flour were right next door to the sweet shop. _Of all the damn luck!_ He wondered if they should just wait it out until the group were gone, but he knew better. The Snobs took hours choosing their sweets, being picky over size and discussing whether sticky toffees were better than sweet caramels. It wasn't as if Blank had any idea what they were talking about as he rarely took the opportunity to waste money on such things.

He watched them walk away and enter the store across the street. Quickly he grabbed the new kid and strolled up to the merchant. "One medium bag, please," he said keeping one trained eye on the door.

"That'll be seven gil, son."

He wasn't expecting that. "You tryin to pull a fast one?"

"What d'yer mean by that?"

 _I don't have time for this!_ "It was five gil last weekend," Blank reasoned. "Why the sudden increase?"

"Don't take it personally, supply and demand is all! Now, you gonna hand over the gil?"

He placed some coins on the counter and raised an eyebrow. "I'll give ya six."

The grocer's lips curled at the edges. "Cocky little fella, ain't yer?" But he gave Blank the flour regardless.

At last with all the items safely collected they were ready to head back. The thief in training felt his shoulders sag with relief. He was looking forward to kicking back and planning the next raid with Marcus. Ruby could babysit the brat and hopefully Baku would finally get off his case. He could still get this day back on track all he had to do was...

"Why, fancy meeting you here!" A boy with slick jet black hair had just stepped outside the sweet shop.

He tried to smile back but it was more of a grimace. "Oh, hey Parcel, been a while."

"Very humorous but allow me, it's pronounced, _Parsell_."

Blank looked thoughtful. "P-A-R-C-E-L, right?" Frederick nodded sagely. "Nah, that's just Parcel, like a box you mail."

"My family name has been passed down for sixteen generations! I should know how to say it, you uncultured swine!"

Blank tried hard not to laugh. "Whatever, I'll be goin now."

"Not so fast!" Fred blocked his exit and stood over him, he was good two inches taller than the red head. "Whom is that behind you?"

He scowled. "Who this?" he asked pointing over his shoulder. "He's erm...He's new to the group doesn't really 'ave a name yet."

"He does not possess a name? How vulgar!" Victoria Sullivan sniffed as she stood beside Frederick. "Although I have heard that residents from the slums often do not name their children until they are two years old."

"Do they really?" Sam Cohen also appeared beside the two friends. "Why on earth would they do that?"

"Mother told me it's because babies from lowborn families often do not survive. The whole thing is most tragic, but then we cannot have the streets overrun with vermin."

Blank bristled. "Shut yer trap! Who the 'eck do yer think you are?"

"Do not speak to a lady in such a heated manner!" Fred warned. "Would you like me to teach him some manners, Victoria?"

"Oh that's quite all right. I wouldn't want to cause any trouble, and besides he's hardly worth our time." She turned back to inspect the small blond boy. "Good heavens!" she cried out suddenly. "What is that monstrosity?"

The monkey tailed boy instantly backed away. _She's looking at me with those strange eyes, like the others from yesterday..._

Blank shook his head with disbelief. "Lindblum has folks with feathers, claws and snouts and yer freaking out about a monkey tail?"

"That is fwightfwlly queer," Oliver Brooks commented as he began to circle the boy. "Is it weal?" He reached out and gave it a sharp tug. When the child yelped he laughed meanly. "Well, what do you expect? You should keep that ugly appendage to yourself and tuck it away!"

 _Don't come any closer!_ He thought, clutching the brown paper bag like a shield.

"Hey," the thief stood between them, "leave him alone."

"Or what?" Brooks said with a buck toothed grin.

"Or I'll punch those pearly whites of yours clean out!" Oliver didn't seem to appreciate that threat and covered his mouth hastily with a hand.

Frederick stepped forward. "I wouldn't be concerned with this vagabond, Ollie. He should look at himself in the mirror before making comments about others."

"Why don't yer come say that to my face, pretty boy?"

He stepped forward. "Those scars...How _do_ you live with them day after day?"

"Shut the hell up, Parcel."

"Yes, the little scarred freak that gives children nightmares - the abomination of Lindblum!"

That was it, Blank threw the flour down and prepared to launch into the older boy. But he was met instead by cold steel prodding against his chest. Frederick had unsheathed a short sword and settled into a fighting stance.

"You know, I've always wanted to see just how sharp this blade is." He trailed it slowly down Blank's front and sneered. "It is a great shame that you could never appreciate the beauty of this fine weapon. How could you? What does a common thief know of such things?" He pressed the blade into Blank's shoulder making him wince.

The blond couldn't explain why but he didn't like seeing Blank in pain. _Stop doing that!_ He growled but Frederick only laughed as he saw crimson blood blotting through the tatty blue shirt. _I warned you!_

Soon however his laugher turned into a loud screech. He looked down in horror to see the little monkey tailed boy biting his finger! There was a struggle as he tried to prise the child's mouth open to retrieve his precious digit. He was a grade eight pianist; there was no way he could afford to lose it! The noble began cursing and squealing like a piglet. "Release me, you demented fool!"

At last the child let go and spat out the skin he'd managed to take with him. Oliver fainted as Victoria and Sam were left speechless.

"You spawn of Satan! I'm going to chop off that tail of yours!" Frederick bawled already lunging towards him.

"Time to move!" Blank grasped his companion by the wrist and ran. He couldn't believe the lad had actually bitten Parcel! He had balls! That wouldn't save them from getting chased by the gang though. If he was caught the red head had no doubt that Frederick would make good on his promise. Already he could hear angry shouts from behind them.

In the market square chickens, potatoes and wicker baskets went flying! Blank pushed through the crowd trying to get away from their pursuers. If he was alone this wouldn't be a problem but he was still dragging the kid with him. In his right hand the supplies were getting pretty heavy too but it was worth more than his life to lose any of Baku's money. He jerked and swerved around the shoppers who were in worlds of their own, oblivious to the hunt that was going on. _We need to get off the main street!_ He thought desperately. _  
_

Just as Blank was about to turn, the boy stumbled. He brought the pair crashing down landing heavily on the brown paper bag. _The tomatoes! The eggs!_ He saw oranges rolling away, spilt milk and fish being trodden on. But that wasn't the worst of it – Frederick's pals had caught up with them. He couldn't think what was worse: the wrath of Baku for losing the food or a beating from The Snobs. His feet moved first and with one last effort he grabbed his bewildered charge and made for the nearest alleyway.

All was well as he went from left to right until it grew quieter. There were less people to get in the way as they tried to make a break for it. Without the heavy load and the monkey boy finally running in the same direction they had a real chance. His legs ached and a stitch stabbed in his left side but he didn't stop. Again another turn, then another and then-

"So, you thought you got away!" Frederick stood there in triumph. His golden eyes burned with a psychotic fire as they latched onto the enemy. The hilt of his sword was stained with red blood that dripped soundlessly onto the ground.

"How the hell did yer find us?"

"I knew you would sneak off down the side streets at some point like the rats you are. So, while my friends gave chase I waited. I followed you. I watched you turn and turn making a complete circle all the way back to me."

Blank frowned. "Ya know that bite looks pretty nasty - I'd get it checked if I were you!"

"Oh, I intend to, right after I take what is mine."

* * *

 **Author's note –**

I hope the introduction of some OC characters hasn't spoiled the flow of the story. I tried to think of a kind of nemesis for Blank and the crew, but it was hard to think of a 'rival gang' for Tantalus. I was left to consider other possibilities and Frederick popped into my head!

The next part of the story revolves around Zidane finally getting his name...not without a bit of drama of course! ;)


	5. Blank's Bad Day Part Two

**Chapter 5 – Blank's Bad Day Part Two**

Blank didn't like that look in Frederick's eyes. His once slick black hair was jutting up at odd angles so it appeared he possessed a set of horns. Anger radiated from him and it was all directed at the boy with a monkey tail that continued to swish back and forth. The thief had never seen Parcel lose control like this before. He'd always played around, threw a few insults, and then lecture Blank about his perfect upbringing. The red head knew it was all rubbish: if life was so rosy for Frederick then why did he need to escape to the streets each weekend? Why didn't he stay in his mansion with his one hundred and twenty servants and sword play lessons? How could Lindblum market hold any interest to him whatsoever?

Frederick came closer, his whole body casting a dark shadow over Blank. "Get out my way!"

"Can't do that." Blank tugged his smaller companion behind him, feeling the child shake. "I'll handle this, go home," he said quietly. When he still felt his presence there he added, "What are yer waiting for? Get outta here!" This was enough to finally make the boy move and soon after there was nothing but a trail of dust. Blank turned back to Frederick, and the two children glared at each other.

The taller of the two continued to step forward slowly. "I suppose you think you're being gallant by letting him get away?" When his opponent didn't respond he gripped the sword more tightly. "Well, if I can't have his tail then I believe a piece of you will have to suffice. Hmm, what shall I have? There is such a wide variety of choice!" He laughed. "I could gouge out those hateful little eyes of yours or perhaps I should slice off an ear?"

"I'd like to see yer try," Blank teased, trying to ignore the way his knees were trembling.

"Is that a challenge?"

There was a slight pause as he took his target in and then he charged forward. In the narrow streets there wasn't much room to swing, but Frederick was not concerned with such matters, he had been trained to strike with efficiency. His sword however clanged as it hit the stone wall, the red head had ducked and rolled away. Again Frederick collected himself and started after the boy. He carved the air up in front of him tantalising inches away from fragile pink flesh. But the street rat was cunning and could twist just out of reach each time. He jumped and dived, even slid between his legs at one point to avoid getting hit. Fred spun around and yelled, he tried again hacking and slicing at the scurrying thief. His sword met with a barrel sending a shower of water across the floor and he slipped.

Not wanting to fall on his own sword, he thrust it away and hit the cobble stones with an almighty bump.

"Yer know," a rasping voice said behind him, "a real man shouldn't have to rely on weapons all the time. In a situation like this fists are probably better!" He chuckled taking the sword and throwing it over the wall out of reach. It clattered loudly on the other side.

"Why you..." Frederick growled. "That's been handed down for generations! You can't just toss it away!"

"I can if you're threatening a member of our crew!" he corrected him and then crossed his arms. "Man, you are such a loser!" When all Fred could do was shriek with frustration Blank knew it was over. Not too soon either, he was drenched with sweat and his stomach was beginning to growl. Which reminded him - Baku wouldn't be too happy about the food. He rubbed his temples; how was he supposed to explain all this?

"Oh Fwederwick!" Oliver suddenly skulked around the corner. "There you are!" A vaguely familiar whining accompanied the youth.

 _Crap!_ Blank froze as he saw the monkey tailed kid thrashing around in Brook's vice like grip.

"I caught him for you! He was trying to wun away." His squeaky, gleeful tone was painful to the ears. He had a mop of brown curly hair and spectacles the thickness of milk bottles. He possessed a healthy curiosity, sometimes even bordering on the obsessive. So when Oliver had caught sight of the boy running he just couldn't let him go.

"Ollie," Frederick said with the widest smile, "Nice work. Bring the devil here, would you?"

As Brooks set to walk over the red head saw his chance. He picked up the remains of the water barrel and threw it hard towards the snob. Oliver bleated in dismay, whilst Blank swiftly claimed his precious prize.

"That's the second time I've had to stick my neck out for yer!" he moaned bitterly to the child as they ran for their lives once more.

Their feet pounded the ground at speed. He had no idea which direction they were heading anymore. Usually the streets spoke to the Tantalus member, giving him subtle clues or escape routes. Today it was as if they had turned their backs on him. Nothing seemed familiar and he couldn't fathom which way was out. If he had the time to stop and think he might be able to find _something,_ unfortunately Frederick was unlikely to give him such a luxury.

It was the final straw when the pair rushed blindly into another dead end. This time the whole gang had caught up with them. Even Blank was smart enough to figure that the odds of four to two were not favourable. The way Frederick was worked up right now it was more like six to two! He saw part of the wall had crumbled away and so bent down and threaded his fingers together.

"Hey, I'll give you a boost!" he said sharply. When the child hesitated he really was tempted to just leave him there. "Come on! What are yer waiting for, an invitation?" Blank lifted the boy up until he had a good foothold. Afterwards the thief scrambled up only just managing to kick off Cohen.

"Come down here!" Sam shouted nursing his sore hand. "That's hardly sporting!"

There was only one way to go now and that was towards the skies. The monkey tailed boy had a much easier time climbing from the wall onto a window ledge before leaping across to a balcony. As Blank tried to follow he looked down and spotted Frederick and the others cursing. They began to throw debris.

"Keep climbing!" he commanded. "Get as high as you can and don't stop!" He saw the child pull himself up onto the upper balcony. Unfortunately the red head's arms and legs didn't want to respond. They were tired from all the running, in vain Blank tried to get a better grip of the window sill but he was slipping. If he didn't jump soon he was going to fall. _Can't have that brat showing me up!_ He thought stubbornly. _Three...two...one..._

Unfortunately as he made to jump Frederick caught him with half a brick he'd found. The blunt rock smacked straight into his side so he missed the balcony entirely and came tumbling down. As Blank fell he saw the boy reach out to him with both arms, but he was too far away. There were just a few seconds when it felt like he was flying through the air. This sense of freedom was cruelly replaced with the crash of his body smashing into a stack of crates.

Lying face up in the splintered wood for a minute or two the shock took over, he couldn't breathe. He didn't think it was possible for his back and chest to hurt so much at the same time. Faces cast in shadow towered over him and all he could do was wheeze and blink.

"Is he dead?" the girl asked.

Frederick used his foot to prod him. "No, he's been winded that's all." He turned and cast his yellow eyes skywards. "You better come down here," he said to the monkey tailed boy. "Otherwise I shall take my revenge on him."

"Don't you dare!" Blank yelled. "Stay there, you 'ear me?" The boy did as he was told and slunk down to peer through the metal bars of the balcony.

"You disgust me, trying to act all noble. You're a scourge on this town, you and all your kind."

"Fred, he looks hurt pretty bad..." Victoria piped up.

"Not nearly enough," he growled. "Do you see this?" Frederick held up his bloody finger. "He will pay one way or another!" And with that he grabbed the lapels of Blank's dungarees and hauled him up pinning him against the wall. "You know, I believe you were right before."

"Oh yeah, what about?" Blank coughed. Then he felt his ribs cracking as a fist was driven hard into his chest. His eyes bulged out their sockets. Another blow came to the side of his head then an uppercut to the chin. Suddenly he tasted blood in his mouth and spat it out.

"I'll have to try this more often!" Parcel smirked. "There is a certain pleasure from fighting in such a _raw_ way." He punched Blank in the eye leaving him staggering there for a moment. "Are you just going to hide up there and watch your friend being beaten?" Fred called up to the child. "What a coward you are!"

The child couldn't have moved even if he tried. He was curled up, face pressed against the bars watching in horror as the Tantalus member was being used as a punching bag. He clamped hands over his ears trying to drown out the sickening thumps. _Stop!_ He begged. _Stop hurting him!_ But it didn't stop. A madness had taken over Frederick and he kept on again, and again and again. Blank's face was beginning to resemble a tenderised piece of meat. Then he was kicked in the shin and collapsed on his side.

"That's it Fwederwick! Beat him to a pulp!"

"Hey Fred, I think that's enough now, yeah?" Sam swallowed hard. This animalistic brawl was starting to scare him a little.

As if hearing his thoughts Victoria stepped in. "You're taking this too far!" But she was pushed roughly backwards.

"You keep out of this!" Frederick snarled. "I haven't even started!"

However, Victoria was never one to be brushed aside. "You're starting to sound like a thug!" she said angrily. "Stop this nonsense at once!"

Blank tried to crawl onto his knees. His vision was blurry and he couldn't make out the figures in front of him anymore. _Damn, Parcel packs a wallop!_ He thought. Something was falling into his eyes and when he tried to swipe it away the back of his hand felt sticky and wet. He craned his neck to stare at Frederick directly. "You got everything out yer system yet?"

Another beating followed.

"He isn't worth it!" Victoria yelled as she stepped boldly between the pair. "Stop it Frederick, you'll kill him!"

There was something in those words that finally broke through the red mist. The pounding stopped and the young noble was shaking uncontrollably.

After taking Parcel's punishing blows, Blank was nearly drowning in a sea of pain. It consumed his entire consciousness so he was no longer aware of his own surroundings. _Feel...dizzy_ He gasped and shook his head again. His ability to balance faded rapidly, until his whole body toppled over like a tree being cut down. Then all was black.

Frederick saw now his crisp white shirt splattered in crimson red splodges and when he clenched his fists there was blood on them. The rings he wore had scrapped skin compacted into their settings. He studied Blank and only then did the full enormity of his actions hit him.

"I...I didn't mean..." But he couldn't get a coherent sentence out. He felt a hand clamp onto his wrist leading him away.

"We have to get out of here," Sam's voice warned. "You don't want the guard on your back. Your dad will have a fit. Come on!"

"But..." Frederick saw the red head. The damage looked sever and he could hear the monkey tailed boy sobbing above. _He isn't actually dead, is he?_

Cohen started to drag him now. "You said it yourself he's just a street rat, right?"

"But he isn't moving..." The youth couldn't quite connect back to reality as his brain was still flooded with adrenaline. How could he feel so alive when there was a lifeless body right in front of him? "Sam?" He turned to his best friend whose face was pale as chalk. The question remained there between them.

"He's just... blacked out!"

Frederick shook his head violently. "He...He isn't _moving_ Sam!" He didn't recognise his own voice because it had jumped several octaves in pitch. His hands pressed down on Cohen's shoulders with the pressure increasing as he tried to steady himself. "He - isn't – _moving_ \- Sam!"

"Fred, you're hurting me."

"Are you deaf? He isn't moving!" The hands were now clamped around Sam's throat.

Sullivan and Oliver couldn't believe what they were saw. They stared at him unable to recognise any trace of their old friend. This was a monster, a tornado raging out of control. The pair raced forward and wrenched Frederick off so that he toppled backwards and landed in the wet.

"What are you doing?!" he screamed. His companions couldn't find anything to say and they backed away fearfully. It was all too much so they ran. "Don't leave me!" Frederick shrieked after them.

Sam stood gingerly rubbing his tender neck muscles. "You still don't get it, do you?" He saw his friend trembling. "We _have_ to go. If we're found here it'll be trouble for all of us."

Frederick swallowed hard. "I didn't mean to..."

"I know, I know." Two onyx black eyes softened. "You never do." For the sake of the years they'd grown up together Cohen tried one last time. "Will you come with me?" When Fred nodded meekly the pair made their exit leaving Blank behind.

The monkey tailed boy remained frozen with arms wrapped around his small frame, the silence around him was deafening. _Have they gone? Have they really gone?_ It took a long time before he gathered enough courage to peer over the balcony. He saw the red head lying there, he was hurt. He needed help.

Blank wished the buzzing noise in his ears would go away, and his body shivered on its own. _What I wouldn't give for some water right about now._

"Blank!"

Someone was calling him. _Hmm, who's that?_ He crushed his eyes shut. _Leave me alone!_

"Blank! Blank! Blank!" This time it was more urgent.

"Give it a rest," he mumbled back. He heard a hiccup of relieved laughter then his name was chanted again until finally Blank forced his eyes open. They were met with a blurry and snotty mess of a face. The thief squinted back at the little trouble maker, then moaned.

"Blank."

"Why am I always helping you?" he croaked weakly. Then pain hit him like a sledge hammer. _Oh geez, that's right I got pummelled!_ He tried to move which was a mistake. "Aha, mmm...Okay...Oww." He waited for his body to adjust to the injuries but it was getting harder to focus and stay awake. "Look," he hissed, "I can't move." The boy tried to lift the red head but failed. "You're too scrawny to carry me, idiot!" He began coughing violently and had to fight for air. "Get help," Blank said gritting his teeth, "Get Marcus."

"Blank..."

"Get bro," he whispered this time, his eyes fluttering strangely.

He placed an ear to the red head's heart it was still beating. He wasn't familiar with the city or even how to get back to Tantalus. But if didn't do something then Blank could die. He forced himself to stand and start running but there wasn't a soul to be seen anywhere. Through the shady side streets his echoing footsteps haunted him. The alleyway seemed to go on forever, however he did manage to find his way back to the market square. Everyone was still going about their daily business as if nothing had happened. He retraced his footsteps past the sundial and back to the air cab station.

Unfortunately when he reached the Theatre District he soon became lost. To him all the buildings looked exactly the same it was like a maze. After what seemed like hours he found himself yet again outside the station. He'd been running in circles! Exhausted and frustrated he hid his face in his hands. _I don't know what to do!_ As the child struggled with this problem his face grew increasingly hot. _What's this?_ He touched his cheek. _Strange water coming from my eyes again, why does it happen?_

The child wept bitterly. Passersby left the boy alone for how could they know the horror he'd seen? There was no sympathy or compassion, children cried on the streets everyday it was hardly anything new. For all this progress in a prime age of industrial revolution human suffering still existed. Life was not kind to the weak. The weak often faded into the background and disappeared without a trace.

 _Bong! Bong! Bong!_

His blue eyes flew open. He got up, ears straining for the source and then he remembered. _Old Ben!_ Without a second to lose he stumbled through the strangers. He followed the loud ringing back into the square and up a flight of stairs that he'd completely missed. Jumping the steps two at a time he raced to the top and saw the clock tower. The monkey boy had never seen anything more beautiful in his young life. The rickety bell was still clanking as he fell through the door.

Baku looked up from his newspaper. "What's up, kid?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "Hang on, where's Blank?" When the monkey tailed boy kept repeating Blank's name over and over alarm bells started ringing.

"When did _he_ start talkin?" Marcus popped his head up from the cellar. He nearly fell down again when the blond scrambled over.

"Martus? Bro?" he asked awkwardly.

The teenager smirked. "The name's Marcus, remember?" But the child hummed in frustration, thinking carefully about how to make himself understood.

"Blank, big bro?"

"Yeah, I know I'm his big bro, but what do you want?" Marcus tried again, keen to make sense of this gibberish as it was making his head hurt.

 _I have to make him move!_ The child jumped up and down. "Big bro, come!" he pleaded. "Big Bro help Blank!" And when the thief still stood there perplexed he began pulling on his arm.

Marcus gave a moan. "What's he got mixed up in now?"

"Never mind all that." Baku abandoned his paper and pulled on a jacket. "We better find 'im!"

They soon reached the Business District and the monkey tailed boy tried to navigate the alleyways. Of course he couldn't remember exactly where Blank lay so they tried calling out. When that didn't work they split up only to find each other again empty handed. It wasn't until they spotted something glinting in the dim light that they made a break through.

Marcus picked up the weapon and turned it over in his hands. "Nice craftsmanship, surprised it's just sitting 'ere."

 _The sword!_ The blond recognised it immediately. _We ran...the other_ side! With that he turned half circle and took a running jump.

Flabbergasted Marcus could only watch as the monkey tailed child scrambled up the wall. "Where are yer going?" he cried out. "Weird kid!" With no choice Marcus kept his hand to the wall and followed it around to the other side. "Damn it Blank, why yer gotta make life so hard for yourself?" Suddenly he stopped dead, hearing his name being called. Was it the Boss he'd just heard? Certainly sounded like Baku with it's rough, gravelly tone. "Boss?" he shouted back.

"Marcus, get yer big arse over here!"

Instantly he flinched. _Yup,_ _definitely the Boss!_ _And he sounds pretty angry too._ It didn't take long to follow Baku's irate ranting all the way down another side street. But when he finally reached Blank he could see why.

The monkey tailed kid shook his friend's shoulders, but there was no response. "Blank? Blank, wake! Please?" he kept saying over and over.

"Who would do this?" Marcus clenched his fists, trying to prevent his voice from shaking.

"I dunno," Baku replied coldly, "But whoever it is, they've just made the worst mistake of their lives."


	6. All in a Name

**Chapter 6 – All in a Name **

Blank's body was a crude artwork of black and blue, his face swelled up beyond recognition. The injuries he'd sustained would put him out of action for weeks and that was _if_ he survived the night.

"I think the nose is broke too," Ruby said as she assessed him, "and a couple a ribs that's why the poor darlin's having trouble breathin."

Baku stomped up and down the room as he had done for the past half hour. "I'm gonna kill the bastard that did this!" He looked at the sword on the table with pure hatred. "I shoulda taught him how to fight. If I'd done that he wouldn't be lyin there now!"

"But he's seven years old!"

"Rubes, there's people out there that don't give a stuff! They'll prey on anyone!"

"Well, it ain't right." The girl scowled. "Blank never hurt no one if he can help it. Seein him like this..." She bit her bottom lip. True, he could be one of the most grumpy, stubborn little boys she'd ever met, but underneath all that he was a good soul. "I've patched him up best I can, but what he really needs is a doctor!"

"Cinna and Marcus are on it, although I haven't got high hopes - all the medical geezers don't like comin this part of town!" He shook his head in disgust.

Ruby glanced at the monkey tailed boy pressed into the corner. "Howz the little guy doin?" He hadn't moved an inch since they returned, wrapped up in a chequered red and green blanket she'd given him.

The child rocked back and forth unable to stop himself. _I'm sorry..._ He kept thinking, experiencing a tide of emotions that he simply couldn't make sense of. A storm raged in his head with thoughts swirling around and around, his heart a battleground of ceaseless aches and pains. _Why did he do that? Why did he protect me?_

"Still in shock, did well to make it back considering." The Tantalus leader sighed. "Look at 'im, pathetic pipsqueak thought I could make a thief outta him? Must have been out my mind!"

"You don't mean all that." She laughed.

He flopped into a chair. "Don't I?" Baku then rubbed his face, the events of the day clearly catching up with him.

"Boss, I can see through all that tough talk. I see that soft heart of yers clear as day so no point tryin to hide it!"

"Humph!"

"Ain't none of yer fault this happened, and Blank won't accept yer sayin so either."

His frown shifted into a begrudging smile. Sometimes it was as if Ruby were an old crone trapped inside a child's body. "Guess yer right...But soon as I find who did this they're dead meat!"

There was a brisk knock at the door, but as the girl went to open it, Baku blocked her and shook his head. Any member of Tantalus would just breeze on in, so together they waited.

"Mr Baku? Mr Baku? Are you there?" More knocking followed. "I wish to speak with you about a serious matter!"

Baku and Ruby exchanged looks, neither recognised the voice as a member of their team. "Who wants to know?" Baku barked not making any attempt to move at all.

Outside a tall man wearing a red brocade tunic and black silk overcoat waited. His fingers drummed impatiently on the ivory handle of his cane, he was not used to being made to wait. He scowled at the dark oak wood in his way. "Allow me to make introductions face to face, I'm not accustomed to communicating _through_ a door!"

But the crafty thief hadn't survived this long without trusting his instincts. How did he know it wasn't one of the Regent's guards sent to arrest him? "That ain't gonna fly, so give me a name."

A deep sigh came from the other side. "I am known as Lord Charles Parcel."

"Am I supposed to be impressed or somethin?"

"To be quite frank, I neither care nor have any interest in impressing you." Charles sniffed. "I believe you have an injured child within, is that not correct?"

This last piece of information made Baku pause. "How would yer know that?"

"Because I have the culprit with me," he said simply.

Immediately the door was snatched open and Baku found himself greeted by a gentleman with long black hair. The stranger bowed his head politely before saying, "Many thanks, may I come in?" As they entered, the Tantalus leader clocked a boy sheepishly coming in behind him. The lad's gaze was cast to the ground and he appeared to be shaking.

"Baku Bosu, what can I do yer for?"

The stranger's ruby eyes glittered as he scanned the room. The hideout of Tantalus wasn't what he expected at all, the rumours about a cut throat gang of thieves were somewhat... exaggerated. He finally settled on Blank who was asleep in the makeshift bed by the fire. "Hmm, I see."

Suddenly there was a roar, and the monkey tailed boy dived forward, his blanket tossed high into the air. He snatched the sword from the table but it rattled in his small inexperienced hands. _Keep away from him!_ He snarled and growled, standing directly in front of Blank. "No hurt!" he yelled. "No hurt!"

"Whut is goin on here?!" Ruby went to the child who seemed very upset to see the man. She searched his usually handsome face which was now twisted in anger. The girl spun around to consider the strangers. _No, it ain't the man he's lookin at, it's the boy!_

Calmly, Charles Parcel observed the blond before stating, "Ah, this must be the monkey tailed child you were referring to, Frederick."

"What's this all about?" Baku had grown impatient. "Either state yer business or get the hell outta here!"

The other man cleared his throat. "This is my son, Frederick. He has an apology he wishes to convey for the assault against... _Blank_ is it?" The name sounded strange on his genteel tongue. "I believe the boys met in town earlier this afternoon." After seeing the damage for himself, he now turned to his son. "Look at him! How dare you shame this house!" Fred's cheeks glowed as his father scorned him. "This is inappropriate behaviour for a gentleman!"

"But he bit my finger!" Frederick protested holding up his bandaged hand.

"Is that right?" Baku crossed his arms. "And how did you react to that I wonder?" But the younger Parcel remained silent. "Why did my boy have to get involved, kid?"

"I... threatened to..." He stuttered helpless in the face of this colossal purple haired beast.

"Speak up and act like a man!" Baku barked.

That made Frederick nearly jump out of his skin. "I threatened to chop his tail off!"

"What, with that sword?" He pointed at the monkey tailed kid. "Think yer higher than thou cos you've got a weapon? Think yer can swing it around and get some attention, eh? EH?!"

"I'm sorry," the boy whimpered, now on the verge of tears. "I was angry."

"What would make you do such a thing?" Charles asked him in confusion.

"Why would you even care?" Frederick rounded on him. "You're never here anyway!"

Mr Parcel wore a dangerous look. "We shall discuss this later," he hissed.

"That's right, always later." He continued shaking his head. "It's always another time another day."

"And what do you imply by that?" Charles' eyes narrowed, his cool composure beginning to unravel.

"I gather daddy here ain't around much, that the gist of it?" Baku said bluntly and for once the young man looked him in the eye. "I see, tough break kid."

"I would appreciate it if you did not mollycoddle my son!"

"Well, don't folks say the devil makes work for idle hands?"

The nobleman sneered. "You have the gall to say that to me in _your_ line of work?"

"Are you guys done?" Ruby cut in glaring at both men with hands planted on hips. "And put that thing down before yer cut someone!" she said sternly to the would-be swordsman. But stubbornly the newest recruit refused.

"No!" he shouted. "No hurt Blank!" He shook his head violently at Ruby. _I won't let him! I can't..._

Baku gnashed his teeth and stormed over to the child. "You really think I'd let this brat have another go at 'im? What kinda leader do ya think I am? Put that blinkin blade down!" In shock the monkey tailed boy dropped it immediately. His lip wobbled and then he fled out the door.

"Come back!" Ruby cried. "He didn't mean ta scare yer!"

The Tantalus leader spat in annoyance. "Just leave 'im! Little brat needs to grow a damn backbone!"

"Oh my!" another voice said as the child dashed past. "What a commotion!"

"Doctor Sullivan, I see you received my message, please come in." Charles stepped aside. "The boy we spoke of is just over there."

The medic gasped in horror. "By the Gods he's been beaten!" At once he rushed over and began to make an assessment. "A broken nose and jaw. There's a few missing teeth too by the looks of it! Fred, I'm at a loss for words! I thought Victoria was just being a tad dramatic!"

 _It was a stupid mistake._ Frederick thought again, watching as the doctor injected something into Blank's arm. _If Vicky hadn't stopped me..._ He didn't want to consider the consequences of becoming a murderer at eleven years old. How his father would be shamed and ruined no doubt.

Doctor Sullivan nodded with satisfaction. "Right, that should prevent any infection. Help me lift him a little, please? Now then, we need to keep that wrist elevated, just a sprain I think. Hmm, that eye does look nasty though. Where are those pesky anti- inflammatory pills? Can't do anything about the ribs they have to heal on their own..."

When Blank was finally treated and resting comfortably everyone got up to leave. "How much do I owe yer?" Baku grumbled.

Sullivan pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his long nose. "There's no charge! My fee has already been catered for." Then the good doctor smiled. "Please ensure you change those bandages on a regular basis," he reminded Ruby. "Bed rest and fluids are the best cure for something like this."

She smiled back. "I'll remember, don't cha worry doc!"

"We're not a charity yer know," Baku muttered stiffly to Charles. "I won't be seein this as a favour!"

"Ha! I would never expect you to. Frederick will receive no allowance until the debt has been paid." Now he eyed the sword on the floor. "You do realise _that_ is actually a Parcel family heirloom?" Bosu handed over the weapon, in truth glad to be rid of it. "Why thank you, much obliged! Now we must take our leave from your _delightful_ abode."

"Hey, Frederick..." The Tantalus leader tapped him on shoulder. "You touch one of my boys again, and I'll stick that sword somewhere the sun don't shine!" He smiled pleasantly back at Parcel but the way Fred tripped over his feet showed he'd made the point.

Later that evening Marcus and Cinna returned, but they'd only managed to find a woman with experience using herbal remedies. Despite Doctor Sullivan's treatment Baku invited her in for a cup of tea. She applied an ointment or two and then left promising to keep the boy in her prayers.

Ruby stayed by Blank giving water when he asked for it. They were warm by the fire but her eyes wandered to the upper window. By now the clouds had become over cast and it started to rain. She didn't mention anything to the others, but she was worried. When Baku was angry it was like a volcano erupting. The monkey tailed child wasn't used to his outbursts that fizzled out just as soon as they started. Besides, if he was to be a Tantalus member he had to follow orders.

"So where's the newbie?" Cinna ventured placing a card onto the grid.

Baku did not reply. He shuffled the cards in his own deck pondering how best to tackle the 'Bomb' his subordinate had pulled out. It was a pretty good one with arrows in all directions and an evolved attack parameter of D, and defence of C. If he could secure the card it would come in handy later. Marcus was the real killer card player of the troupe, so it was a surprise that Cinna held such an impressive treasure.

Marcus scanned his lines for the new play as the red head stirred. He was trying to mumble something. "How yer feeling brother?"

"Rough," he replied wincing. "Howz little bro?"

The teenager was surprised and gave a small smile. "Thought yer hated the kid...This morning yer said we didn't need 'im."

"Yeah I know, but he stuck up for me. Biting Parcel like that, I mean is he _completely_ nuts?"

Ruby's eyes lit up upon seeing the red head laughing again, but in that second she wasn't sure whether to hit or hug him. The usually confident girl found herself hesitating, was it right to just dump her troubles on him, right now? She didn't know what to do.

"Hey Rubes, thanks for...well, yer know..." Blank squinted unable to see her clearly due to his puffy eyes. She gave a forced smile in return which didn't quite suit her at all. He glanced at Marcus who appeared to have something on his mind as well. "Guys, what's up?" he demanded. "You're acting weird." However his friends only sighed.

Eventually it was Ruby who broke first. "The kid's gone darlin, took off like a buckin bronco soon as the Boss yelled at him."

"What?" Blank tried to sit up, but had to give in and sink back under the covers. "Boss, this true?"

"Yeah, what of it?" The man grumbled as he placed down a Zuu card to combat Cinna's Bomb. As the monsters attacked each other the Bomb was defeated. He grinned at the other man's despair. "Gwa hahaha! I'll be taking that!"

Seeing their leader playing cards without a care in the world disgusted Blank. "But it's raining cats and dogs out there!"

"Quit yer whining!" Baku snapped.

But this did nothing to deter the injured boy. "I'm gonna go look for him!"

"You must have lost a few brain cells when Parcel was laying into yer. Take a good look, kid. Yer in no fit state to go anywhere!"

"I don't care!" Blank said as he tried again to get out of bed.

Baku shook his head and brought the steaming cup to his lips. "Girl, talk some sense into him."

Ruby gently pushed him back into the bed. "You try walkin now all you'll get is dizzy and fall. The doc said plenty of bed rest so that's what cha gotta do partner." She then turned to Baku. "But don't cha worry cos am goin out there to look for him."

The Tantalus leader spat out his coffee. "What?!"

"I said _am_ gonna go out there and look for him. Blank's right, a storm's brewin tonight and he's all alone. I can't rest easy not knowin where he's sleepin. Yer said he's a member of our team but yer happy to just leave him out there to get wet and catch cold!"

"Give me strength!" As the cards went flying off the table Cinna dived for his bomb card. "Fine, we'll go look for the monkey kid! Boys, get the lanterns! You!" He pointed sharply at Ruby. "Are gonna stay 'ere and make sure _he_ don't move!"

"Aww, yer such a sweetheart!" She fluttered her eyelashes playfully.

"Don't think I don't know what game yer playin, can't have a young lady wandrin round in the dark is all. Besides, that kid still owes me money!"

* * *

So out went the Tantalus Brothers into the night. The wind was a gale snatching at their hair as they pressed forward, and the cold rain soon made their clothes cling to their chilled bodies. They checked everywhere they could think of, asked the few people that had ventured out if they had seen a small blond boy, but the answer was always no.

"This is ridiculous!" Cinna moaned. "He could have gone anywhere!"

As water spray ran off the drain pipes and the shutters around them were snapped shut; who should the trio bump into but none other than Clatterbridge.

"Evening Will," Baku said mildly. "Nice weather for garudas, eh?"

"Good Lord!" The Regent Officer couldn't believe his eyes. "What are _you_ doing out here?"

The thief shrugged his shoulders. "Lookin for that kid from the other day, he's run off somewhere."

"I see, any luck?"

"Nope, no one's seen or heard nothing, where you off to?"

William pulled his coat more tightly around him. "I'm going to investigate reports of a wolf at the cemetery."

"A wolf?"

"Quite, apparently howling has been heard coming from there."

Baku watched as water continued to drip steadily off his aviator goggles. "Could be a Fang made its way there after the Festival of the Hunt?"

"Always a possibility, and since I am entrusted with security this side of the city it is my duty to find out."

"Hey, yer goin alone to deal with it?" When Clatterbridge nodded Baku looked thoughtful. "Me and ma boys can come along for backup... if yer need it."

"That would be most helpful if you could," the man said shivering. "It has been a while since I've come face to face with such creatures and in this weather it might be tricky."

With that settled the group headed towards the edge of town. The rain became heavier and heavier pelting their backs. The lanterns they kept swayed wildly with the small flickering flames inside holding on for dear life! Their eyes and ears remained on high alert for any sign of the monkey tailed boy however there was none to be found.

Thunder cracked and lightning forked across the dark grey sky. Upon reaching the lichgates of Lindblum cemetery Clatterbridge produced a key. The gates creaked loudly as though angered to be disturbed. In the men went to this foreboding place of tombstone crosses, monoliths and obelisks. The moon cast an eerie light upon the statues and like silent sentinels they watched the group as they trudged in the rain.

Cinna held tightly onto Marcus' shirt. "This place gives me the creeps!"

"Knock it off!" His friend prised the older man away from him. "Buncha dead people can't hurt yer!"

"Can't hear any howling. Everything seems to be in order." Clatterbridge shook his head.

They completed a brief search of the cemetery. But by this time Baku was sniffing and cursing, Cinna and Marcus were dead on their feet and even William had started to flag.

"I fear I may have led you on a wild goose chase," he apologised.

"Better to be safe than - ACHOO!" Baku sneezed. "...Sorry!" he finished trying to wipe his nose with a limp handkerchief.

 _Thank goodness!_ Cinna felt relief wash over him at the prospect of leaving, he really hated places like this. The darkness had always frightened him; even as a grown man he still slept with a small doll under his arm for comfort. He'd rather die than have the troupe discover his secret, although looking at the tomb stones maybe such thoughts were best left alone.

In the middle of these contemplations there came a great howl that seemed to echo around them. The group froze mid step and then upon coming to their senses tried to gauge where it was coming from.

Cinna hid behind Marcus. "What was that?" he squeaked, even though truly he did not want to know.

It came again, haunting and shrill. Baku pushed through the group with his ears straining trying to grasp the sound. "Come on, boys..." he said, leading the way. Marcus followed his leader immediately, Clatterbridge not long after. It only took a few moments before Cinna's courage gave out and he had no choice but to chase after them.

They all hastened to the western corner. Baku kept an easy hand near to his sword ready to face down the Fang should it jump out and attack. He'd seen and killed a few of the wolf - like creatures, they were vicious and fast. Their blood red eyes gave them the look of a demon. The sharp teeth shared with their namesake could pierce a thick animal hide with ease, but damage to a cheap piece of armour was not out of the question either. Hiding in the shadows the monster had the perfect position to strike and take a man out. They had to tread very carefully.

"Get ready!" Baku hissed, as they continued to follow the howls to an angelic figure with gigantic white wings. As pale flashes illuminated the area for a moment he realised there was actually something there. _What the devil is it?_ The thief cursed the relentless down pour. The brief snatches of light could only give the briefest glimpse of what they were dealing with. Without hesitation he drew the sword ready to seize the advantage...

But just as Bosu prepared to bring the blade down, he stopped. The howling had ceased. Instead there came a barrage of sobs and whimpering. The Tantalus leader pressed his body to the statue and peered cautiously around it. Underneath a familar shivering blond boy clung to the angel. "Stand down," he ordered to the others. "It's just the dumb kid."

"Of all the places to take shelter!" William gasped in astonishment.

The angel had seen better days, when Baku raised his lantern he could see the face had been severly chipped over the years. The rain made it look as though the angel was crying, its hands reached out but several fingers were missing. He looked at the bevel marker partially hidden by green moss and began to read the epitaph.

"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast. And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed; eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, with their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still... What the 'eck is that supposed to mean?" The Tantalus leader's brow furrowed as he examined the rest of the inscription, however there was nothing more aside from a single name. "Weird choice, must have been a poet or summit."

The monkey tailed boy frowned at the floor; he refused to look up at Baku despite the fact they had come out in the storm to find him.

"Well, you stopped sulking yet?" he asked. But all the child did was jerk sharply away from him. _This is folly!_ He thought. _I'm in no mood for playin games!_

"Come on Boss, just grab him!" Cinna mumbled between chattering teeth.

Baku thought about how he'd already done that once back at the jetty. "There's no point dragging 'im back if he just runs away again!"

"Well, what do you propose we do? We can't stay here all night!" Clatterbridge chimed in.

The man growled. "I know that!" He was beyond cold and fed up. "Look kid..." Now the youngster stuck his tongue out at Baku. _Can't keep callin him that!_ He wiped some of the dripping water from his face. _Damn it, need a name!_ Then he considered the inscription and smiled. _Dead man won't need it no more, right?_ "Hey Zidane, how bout we go home and see how Blank's doin? He's been asking about yer!"

The monkey tailed boy stared at him. "Zidane?" he repeated cocking his head to one side like an inquisitive bird.

"Yeah, Zidane Tribal. Yer like it?"

"Zidane...Tribal..." The child said the name slowly and then nodded.

Baku sneezed again. "So," he sniffed. "How about it? You wanna go home, Zidane?" Zidane grinned and held out his arms to the gentle giant. Baku scooped him up. "Right, we got what we came for. Now let's- ACHOO! Get out this blinkin rain!"

* * *

 **Author's note **

The Angel of Death quote was taken from George Gordon Byron – Selected Poems.

In the games there is no mention of how Zidane got his name. I assumed Baku gave it to him at some point so this is my interpretation of what happened! Thank you for the kind reviews.

All the best.


	7. Over Those Hills

**Chapter** **7 – Over Those Hills**

Even with the combination of Ruby's strict bedside manner and Doctor Sullivan's expertise, it still took Blank over six months to fully recover from his ordeal. He hadn't been an easy patient, refusing to take medicine and stay in bed at times but the end result was worth it. To see the boy laughing and up to mischief again warmed all the hearts in Tantalus.

Zidane meanwhile had at last broken his silence, that is - he was trying his best to communicate. Gaining trust in the group he had begun to speak more and more often to them. The suspicious, cold eyes were a thing of the past and had melted to become bright and friendly. Baku had become not a father figure exactly, more like a very strange uncle to the boy. He ruled with an iron fist and Tribal had learnt pretty quickly to do things his way or else face the consequences. Ruby was his affectionate older sister and the other young men his 'non law abiding' brothers. But everyone knew that by far Zidane's favourite person on the planet was Blank. By throwing himself in harm's way the red head had gained a best friend for life.

Everyone saw the difference in Blank too, he wasn't quite so prickerly and they put it down to all the quality sleep he was getting. Then Marcus noticed that his 'brother' hadn't been crying out in the night for ages. Having the little blond to worry about was keeping his nightmares at bay it seemed. Sure they bickered sometimes and the seven year old got fed up of having an extra shadow, but pretty much the two became inseparable. With little to do he'd observed Blank teaching Zidane how to read and write, project his voice, sing songs and share stories. Seeing them grow closer like that had brought him such happiness. It triggered memories of sweeter, kinder times from his past however he never allowed himself to dwell on them for long.

Currently it was evening, Old Ben had chimed to a count of seven and all appeared to be calm. Cinna and Marcus were busy counting the gil they had managed to pilfer from their day's work. There could be nothing more satisfying than the sight of gold coins stacked in neat, tidy rows. Cinna sighed with content, admiring the spoils as he might a lover and day dreamed about his next visit to the bar. In Tantalus however, peaceful scenes like this never seemed to last, especially if Baku had anything to do with it.

"It's about that time again, boys!" The large man declared as he rubbed his hands together gleefully.

Marcus had seen that look before, it usually meant their leader had something big planned. "What's that, Boss?"

He chuckled and casually strode over to the shelf to pick up a dagger. After that, he crept to where Zidane was happily drawing at the other end of the table and pointed the weapon at the boy's nose. Startled, Tribal yelled and toppled backwards off the chair. More laughter followed as the child picked himself up.

"Not funny!" Zidane snapped as he glared at Baku, who only stood there and smirked. _I hate it when you do things like that!_

"Gwa hahaha! Don't get excited! It was nowhere near yer." As he said this, Zidane launched himself at the man trying to scratch him, but he simply twisted the lad into an easy arm lock and continued his conversation. "It's time for a trek in the wild!"

"What yer talkin about?" Blank asked as he came down the ladder. Upon seeing Tribal struggling, he shrugged and then added, "Are we goin somewhere?"

"We're takin a hike over the Lindblum plateau. I've set up a training ground in the forest so yer can learn how to fight!"

"For real, Boss?" Blank grinned from ear to ear.

Baku nodded and let go of Zidane who fell to his knees. "Well yeah, plus I need to teach this _greenhorn_ ," he said with a stern look, "how to actually steal, can't have 'im free loading forever!"

"Might be smart to learn any new abilities from our equipment too," Marcus reminded their leader. "We're gonna need to rack up some major experience!"

"There'll be plenty of game out there for everyone, and by the time we're done I reckon we'll have more than a few new tricks up our sleeves."

Cinna frowned as he realised his hopes for a night off were slipping away. "Sounds like hard work... Can't I just stay here?"

"Lazy bum!" Bosu snarled. "Get yer bags packed cus we're leavin in the mornin!"

By this point Blank had held out a hand to pull his younger colleague to his feet. Zidane scratched his head indicating that he still had no idea what was going on. "We're goin on an adventure," he explained. "It'll be fun!"

Kneeling side by side the two boys looked over the contents of their packs. Blank counted amongst other things: sleeping bag, extra clothes, tinder box, water bottle, blanket, remedy, bandages, candles, rope and a roll of tarp. He showed his friend how to pack efficiently and secured the pack onto his shoulders. Unfortunately, when Zidane stood up he immediately fell backwards onto his arse.

"Too heavy!" he cried out.

Blank shook his head the kid looked like an upturned turtle, his legs wriggling pathetically in the air. "Idiot, even I can see that!" He sighed and added some of the Zidane's equipment to his own. This time he was able to take the weight and stand without trouble.

Zidane jiggled his pack a little before giving his friend a warm smile. "Thanks Blank, you the best!"

"Yeah, yeah..." The red head waved away the compliment, but couldn't help smirking. That was the effect Zidane had on people, he made them laugh and see the brighter side of things. When you spent time with the blond it felt like his enthusiasm for life rubbed off on you. He discovered something new every single day, and reminded Blank of an infant taking his first tentative steps. This had led to him becoming more and more suspicious about where Zidane had come from. The pristine condition of his teeth and the flawless beauty he possessed. Blank had concluded that he must be the love child of some noble, and that one day they would come to find him. How he felt about that he wasn't sure. Blank had tried not to get attached to anyone, the only person you could rely on was yourself after all, but somehow Zidane had managed to slip through his defences.

Suddenly the pair of blue eyes in question were staring at him with concern. "Blank, you 'kay?"

"Sure," he said snapping out of his thoughts. "Better go to sleep now, otherwise we'll be beat for tomorrow."

Zidane pulled on a nightshirt and climbed into the top bunk. He remembered fondly when Blank had swapped and allowed him to sleep up there. The bed was cold and he curled himself up to try and get warm. Blank blew out the light and there was silence for a few moments as the boys considered what lay ahead.

"Hey Blank?"

"Go to sleep." There was a grumble from above and then the child tossed and turned. In the darkness Blank rolled his eyes. "What is it, Zi?"

A happy chuckle followed. "Have you see outside?"

"Yup," he replied willing that to be the end of the conversation.

"What like?"

He thought for a moment. "There's grass, mountains, and a dirt path that leads to the forest. Couple a monsters to take out on the way – usual stuff."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, nothin bad'll happen."

This seemed to calm the boy's concern, for soon after the thief heard gentle snores from the top bunk. Only once before had Baku taken Blank on a brief trip beyond the wall. It wasn't like he was an expert or anything, but he just knew this trip was going to be special!

At daybreak the wisps of cloud were illuminated with a hazy red tint. The band of thieves turned away from Hunters Gate and into the big wide world. It was chilly as they started walking across the plateau but Bosu's marching pace soon warmed them up. With the weight of their packs and their shorter legs Zidane and Blank both fought to keep up with the group. Despondently they looked ahead and saw the men sit down to take a breather. But just as the two boys had caught up they immediately moved on.

"Will yer just wait a minute?" Blank shouted after them. He glanced back at the monkey tailed boy who was wheezing and sweating with the effort. "Zi can't keep up!"

Baku continued not caring a jot. "If he can't keep up then he can go home!"

This left Blank fuming. "Heartless cad!" he shouted back. Their leader's laughter carried over the hills not helping the red head's temper. "Like we need yer anyway!"

They plodded on and spotted the trio over the next rise, however this time they were in no hurry. Blank muttered and cursed under his breath. Tribal couldn't help but wonder why his best friend thought this trip was going to be fun. Watching airships was fun, listening to Baku singing was fun and playing hide and seek. Chasing and hiking for miles without a break... he really didn't see the fun in that. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around.

"What's up?" Blank complained. "We have to keep moving!"

"But something," Zidane tried to explain. The hairs on his tail were standing on end and his stomach clenched uncomfortably. There was no denying the aura he could feel behind them, but every time he snatched a glance there was nothing there. It was only when he considered the cliffs around them that it made sense. "Blank!" he gave a sharp yell.

"What now?"

A gigantic spider over two metres tall came scrambling down the rock face. Each of its four legs had a sharp claw attached, it's fat, purple abdomen marked by a pink stripe going down the back. The fiend jumped down blocking their path causing the earth to shake. Two antenna were raised menacingly over the boys' heads.

Blank's finger nails dug into the shoulder straps of his pack. "Ah hell..."

Meanwhile, Marcus had already spotted the carve spider when he gave the alarm, "Boss!"

"Shit!" When Marcus' voice erupted like that it made Baku's blood run cold. Instinctively he turned to run but tripped over his own two feet. Cinna and Marcus raced past him. "Get over there pronto!" he bellowed from the ground. "They'll be skewered!"

Marcus bounded forward his strong arms pumping as fast as they could go. Two unarmed boys trying to take a monster on alone was suicide. Despite Baku's insistence not to wait for them, he still blamed himself for letting Blank and Zidane get so far behind. He wanted the youngsters to become stronger but not at the expense of their lives. _Just hold on!_ He thought desperately, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

Blank still wasn't sure what had just happened. One minute he could see the spider's large leg aiming for his head, and the next he found himself out of danger. He'd been pushed roughly to the floor, and the stinging sensation on his right side confirmed this. When the fog finally lifted from his brain he saw Tribal standing in front of him, small and insignificant compared to the towering arachnid bearing down on them.

"Zidane, run away!" he tried to yell, but the words were hoarse and clung to the inside of his throat.

The spider's leg was a deadly spear stabbing and jabbing at the monkey tailed boy. Tribal rolled under one attack knowing his only defense consisted of dodging and jumping. He could feel the pack he wore weighing him down but he didn't have time to remove it. Suddenly a large red and orange ball came shooting out the spider's mouth. He back flipped and landed solidly on two feet before diving away again as the creature tried to snap him in half. Zidane knew his reflexes were quicker than most, Ruby often said how the speed of his dips and dives reminded her of an alley cat.

"You idiot!" Blank finally managed to find his voice. "Run!" He forced himself to stand and staggered for a moment.

"No!" His friend shouted back. "Blank, get safe. You no hurt this time! Go!"

The red head could feel his whole body shaking. "Are you out yer tiny mind? This ain't some turn taking game, you'll wind up dead!"

In that moment the carve spider saw its chance and spat out a sticky white web. Covered up to his waist in the foul smelling subtance Zidane discovered in horror that he was unable to go anywhere fast. _I can't move anything!_ He panicked, pulling at his legs which no longer responded. As the enemy rapidly advanced upon its helpless prey, blue eyes grew larger in the face of snarling teeth.

Blank tore open his pack fumbling blindly for what he needed. His sweaty fingers had ceased to function and wouldn't grip anything properly. _Where the hell is it?_ He reached in further, clawing and snatching at the small bottles that kept jumping out of his grasp. _I can't let him die!_ Blank felt the prick of tears behind his eyelids. _Too slow, too bloody slow and stupid!_

Now he saw the spider lifting both antennas into the air again poised to strike. "Zidane, no!" he screamed as the spears crashed down...

 _Clang!_ They were met with cold iron. Marcus struggled against the sharp points as they scratched and pushed down onto his sword. He grunted as he had to use both hands to force the pincers away. The spider's yellow eyes narrowed, it was not happy at the intrusion to its meal.

"Bro!" Marcus called out. "Get Zidane outta here!"

The red head didn't need to be told twice; he threw down the packs, heaved the blond on his shoulders and ran. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he dare not stop until he reached Baku. He collapsed onto his knees breathing hard. Looking back Cinna had joined his Tantalus brother in the battle smashing the carve spider over the head with his hammer. They made a good team: whenever they had an opening they hit hard. When Marcus was engulfed by a fire spell Cinna was ready with a potion to heal. If Cinna was caught in a web Marcus used an item to negate it. They made light work of the enemy and soon it was all over.

The cook knelt down near the dead remains as they lay twitching on the grassy plain. "Least we got some free ore!" he said cheerfully placing the sparkling rock into his pocket. They picked up the abandoned rucksacks and strewn bottles returning to the others. Zidane appeared to have recovered from the ordeal and smiled at them gratefully. Poor Blank however, was bitterly embarrassed by the whole situation.

"It wasn't your fault," Marcus tried to say but Blank snatched his pack and stormed off, leaving the teen wincing.

In the past the red head had often called Marcus his hero. Every time the youngest thief got into trouble it was Marcus who bailed him out. Blank had hung on his every word and stuck to him like glue. But ever since Zidane had appeared things started to change. It was natural he supposed, there someone his own age to relate to now. Perhaps having the child following him around made him realise how stifling it could be. Maybe Blank just wanted to become his own man.

He still cared though, Bro didn't have to prove anything to him. There was no need to just flat out refuse any help. They were supposed to be a band of thieves! His heart grew heavy with the thought and he wondered if Blank needed to have his hero around anymore. His throat stung painfully as he tried to swallow. Sometimes it was hard watching youngsters grow up. Suddenly there was great warmth around his middle and he looked down.

"Thanks, Big Bro!" Zidane said sweetly. He couldn't wrap his arms all the way around Marcus even when standing on tip toe. The teenager ruffled his hair which made the child giggle. He jumped back and cocked his head to one side. "Why you sad?"

"It's kinda hard to explain," he replied honestly. "Just glad I made someone happy..." Marcus was surprised when his voice cracked. He drew back his bandana revealing a pair of shimmering green eyes. _Thinking like this is bad news._ He scolded himself, but there was something in the kid's expression; something innocent and open, still untainted by the hardships of life. It reminded him of how Blank used to be. "Zidane, promise me you'll remember something?" The child nodded and crept closer. "Ya don't ever need a reason to help someone, okay?"

"Yeah," he said fidgeting with the buckles on his pack. "But sorry don't understand, Big Bro."

"That's fine, one day yer will."

"You teach me to hit spiders?" This time he possessed a cheeky grin. "And how you go fast again?"

Marcus found the monkey tailed boy's broken words endearing. "When yer get attacked by a slow spell you have ta use a remedy to get rid of it." He held up a purple vial. "I think Bro was trying to find one, but he wasn't quick enough."

"Oh. Blank mad at me?" Zidane suddenly looked worried.

The human gave a reassuring fanged smile. "Naw, he ain't mad at yer. The only person he gets mad at is himself." He paused for a moment. "Well, that and maybe Ruby."

Lunch time arrived and everyone stopped for a rest at a place called Pinnacle Rocks, located to the east of Lindblum. A collective sigh of relief filled the air as everyone slithered out of their pack holds and took a cold drink of fresh water. They listened to the rumble of the small water fall enjoying the soothing sounds it made.

Pinnacle Rocks was a beautiful hideaway of red and white peonies, small caves and dens blocked with wicker. There was a branch work of wooden bridges and tree trunks caked in green moss that crisscrossed over the water. Below were shimmering ponds with lily pads and pretty pink blossoms. For all this tranquillity however Tantalus agreed that they did not wish to stay the night. Something about the place made them feel on edge, as if they weren't quite alone.

Zidane watched as Blank took off his shoes and socks and began rolling up the legs of his dungarees. The skin on his friend's legs were a curious collection of different coloured tones. In particular on his left ankle there were stitch marks and scabs, but they disappeared as Blank plunged them from sight into the water. Zidane considered his own legs, how pale they seemed in comparison with no scars at all.

"Still can't get over how sneaky that carver was!" Cinna commented as he retrieved some cheese, ham and bread. He sliced a little for each Tantalus member and they immediately devoured the food with a great hunger.

"I've heard stories bout clusters of spiders increasing on the mist continent," Baku said. "Merchants been complaining about monster attacks on the road for a while now. The buggers are gettin bolder and more aggressive, it's one of the reasons why folks tend not to use Gargon Roo anymore. In fact, the only transport people want nowadays is airships!"

"Gargon Roo?" Zidane repeated, he'd never heard the name before.

The older man took another bite of his sandwich. "It's a network of tunnels and roots underground." He tried to eat _and_ speak which sent a shower of half chewed spittle spraying into the air. "Yer can hitch a ride on a gargant there."

Tribal's face showed further puzzlement. "Gargant?"

"It's a large insect that crawls along the roots of the Iifa Tree," Cinna explained. "You can feed them flowers and they'll stop for a bit so you can hop into the carriage."

"Sound fun! Blank, we go on gargant?"

He pulled a face. "Yer wouldn't catch me dead on one of those! I'd take flyin any day of the week."

Baku raised a toast with his water bottle. "I'm with yer there lad, I'm with yer there!"

Soon it was time to head back onto the road. Far in the distance they could just make out the form of the bastide but as they curved more towards the North West it disappeared from sight. They stayed together as a group this time. Baku, Marcus and Cinna took the lead and dispatched a fair number of carve spiders. Large pythons and flocks of trick sparrows were also on the prowl. Sometimes the monsters would leave items after their demise such as hi-potions, ore and phoenix downs. Soon the children wanted to join in and try to steal things from the creatures too, which Baku was more than happy to allow. He taught them to wait until an enemy's health was low before making an attempt, and how to dodge should it fail.

Both students were naturals, Zidane in particular was very fast and began to enjoy himself immensely. Blank was more cautious but his ability to steal rarer items gave him a sense of pride. The boys were keen to try using weapons unfortunately the senior members were all in agreement – combat training had to come first. That meant learning the basics away from the battlefield.

A light drizzle fell by the time they entered the forest. It was late afternoon and Chocobo calls could be heard in the surrounding green. The group headed into the denser trees until they discovered the campsite. Baku pulled at the sheets of tarp he'd set down to cover the ground, these patches of grass were dry. He'd chosen an area with sturdier, older trees that could provide extra shelter and wouldn't snap with the weight of a bear hang. It didn't take long to erect the tents: Blank and Zidane shared the smallest, Cinna and Marcus took the second and Baku had the third to himself. The leader believed this was due to his higher status in the Tantalus Troupe. None of his band had the heart to tell him the truth: in reality Baku's snoring was loud enough to wake the dead.

As the cook set about getting a fire started, Marcus volunteered to collect more wood. This left the trio plenty of time to continue their training.

"So, yer wanna learn how to fight, eh?" His face held a wicked smirk.

"That's why we came here!" A disgruntled Blank held up the thick tree branch he'd been given. "Boss, what am I supposed to do with _this_? Poke yer to death?"

"Yer got a problem?"

"Yeah I got a problem! Yer can't do diddly squat with a stick, _that's_ my problem!"

Baku chewed the inside of his cheek. If he had fifty gil for every time he'd heard the same thing he'd be a rich man. They always placed such blind faith in steel. "Alright, I tell yer what," he unbuckled his orange waistcoat and put it aside, "You can have my short sword and I'll even give Zidane a dagger!"

"Now yer talkin!" Blank exchanged his stick for the blade eagerly.

However Baku wasn't quite finished. He took the branch and then said, "'l'll only use _this_ and I want the pair of yer to come at me with everythin you've got!"

Tribal studied the dagger which felt light in his hands. The hilt was gold and blue, and on the metal there was an engraving of a small heart and crossed blades that he recognised as the Tantalus logo. He looked at Blank uncertain. "Is fair?"

"Sure it is!" His friend winked back. "The old man is going down!"

"Ha!" Baku sneered. "That's assumin yer can hit me at all!"

"Don't worry about that."

"Yer all talk, boy I wanna see somethin to back up the hot air comin out yer trap!"

Blank charged, he lifted up the sword and aimed it directly at the heart. It was an attack full of determination, however Baku simply side stepped and stuck out his leg. The next minute the seven year old was eating the dirt.

"Gwa haha! I thought yer said _I_ was goin down?"

Not to be made a fool of the child spat out mud. Then he staggered up ready for round two. "Come on, Zi!" he barked at the blond. "Help me out will yer?"

Reluctantly Zidane stepped forward. If he'd learnt one thing from the 'Spider Incident' it was that learning how to fight was vital. In order to protect Blank in the future he had to know how defend himself, there was sweat forming on his brow though. He couldn't get over how calm Baku looked as if this was just a game to him. Zidane's lungs felt like they were squeezing together making it difficult to breathe. His arms quivered as if they had a mind of their own.

"Snap out of it!" a harsh voice sliced through his thoughts. "We'll attack together, ready? Go!"

There was a great rush as the two boys careered towards their target. Despite the fear, despite the odds they met it head on. Baku raised his stick and spun around the children. He smacked the wood down hard on Blank's knuckles who howled and dropped the sword. Zidane leapt at him and was promptly kicked in the stomach. Now Blank countered but was swiftly dealt with by a leg sweep that sent him crashing once more. The monkey tailed boy's return saw him try to keep some distance but Baku was having none of that. He started to chase Zidane who was very swift and managed to avoid many of the swipes towards his head. Eventually though he tried to retreat up into the trees.

"Get down 'ere!" the leader grunted as he grabbed onto the yellow tail.

As Tribal scrambled up the tree trunk he was hauled back down. Baku was about to hit him again when the child raised the dagger to block. The blade became jammed in the thick wood and he couldn't pull it out again. Tribal latched onto the stick trying to snatch it away from his leader, but Baku had the advantage here. He was heavier than Zidane and easily overpowered him by leaning on top of the trapped weapon. As Zidane's arms gave way he was rammed backwards into another tree and pinned in place. It was only when his lips started turning blue that Bosu finally let go.

It was another seven beatings before Blank decided he'd had enough, the boy slumped down to the ground in defeat. With bruised body and ego he watched Baku twirl the branch around playfully and whistle a victory tune. _You don't have to look so smug about it!_ He thought waspishly.

"Well boys," Baku began swaggering slowly towards them. "Think I've made my point."

Exhausted, Blank no longer had any energy to argue. He flopped onto his back allowing the coolness of the grass to seep into his bones. How long they'd been training he didn't have a clue. Judging from the position of the sun in the sky it had been a fair while. He had to admit, the old man had skills as a fighter. Baku hadn't even worked up a sweat, the only time he'd run around was to pull Zidane down from the trees.

To their left came a rustling sound and Marcus emerged from the bushes. He was carrying a silver hip flask. "Hey Boss, I got yer..." he stopped dead when he saw the state of Blank and Zidane. "Whoa, don't yer think this is a little hardcore?" he asked Baku. "It's like their first lesson!"

"Holding back isn't a kindness!" He huffed. "These brats have gotta learn that there's more to fightin than just swinging a weapon around!"

There was a feeble moan coming from Blank. "I'm gonna puke."

"Come on," Baku said. "Don't be so pathetic yer just need a bit of grub. Yer don't hear Tribal complaining, do yer?"

Blank glanced over briefly at Zidane. "Well, that's only because he's out cold!"

"Stop makin – hang on, he's what?!" He did a double take, but clear as day Zidane was lying there unconscious. "Geez," the large man groaned and shook his head, "We've got a long way to go!"


	8. Bump in the Night

**Chapter 8 – Bump in the Night. **

Exhausted, Zidane could barely keep his eyes open to eat the scorching hot stew he was presented with. There were muscles aching all over his body that he never knew existed. His poor tail after being pulled so often had become knotted and bent out of shape. _Will this really make me stronger?_ he thought miserably. _I couldn't keep up with Blank today, I'm so small and weak..._

"Hey Tribal, you need to eat!" Cinna's cheerful voice piped up disturbing his internal struggles. He blew on a spoonful of the stew before shoving it forcefully into the little boy's mouth. "Chew...Now swallow...That's the way! Tastes good, yeah?"

Zidane had to admit after taking such a beating the warm food was just what he needed. Soon, he was gobbling it down and asking for seconds. He was given some bread as well this time to soak up the remaining juices.

Afterwards his brothers piled him up high with their empty tin mugs and bowls, and sent him to the stream to clean them. He walked briskly through the forest which was now dark and full of strange eyes. The water felt icy, but the child tried to make quick work of the dishes whilst staying alert. He wanted to be ready in case any monsters decided to attack. _Not that I have any energy left to fight them!_ He swallowed hard. Then his ears were assaulted by the hoots of owls and relentless chirping of crickets. It wasn't long before his shuffling footsteps became hurried strides as he ran back to camp with his clanging load. So he wasn't prepared when he collided into something.

"Unghh!" a garbled grunt sounded.

The mugs and bowls went flying out his hands, immediately Zidane scrambled around on all fours trying to recover them. This part of the forest was dense and he could only just make out the outline of a figure on the floor ahead. More curses could be heard until at last the child whimpered, "Who there?"

"Who d'ya think?" Blank moaned. "For the love of...Damn it, Zi!" He wheezed and slowly began to get up again. "Yer almost gave us a heart attack!"

"Sorry." The blond tried not to cry, but he'd been so scared. With everything that had happened today; being attacked by the carve spider and Baku's unmerciful training, his nerves were fraught. He put his hands over his eyes and took five deep breaths trying to calm down.

Blank heard the pathetic sobbing and it made his heart sink. It wasn't like he was mad or anything, it was more the shock of having the wind knocked out of him. He didn't like surprises, and he had more than his fair share today. Memories of the long session with Baku flashed through his mind. That wasn't training, it was just another opportunity for Baku to show off what a big man he was. Of course he'd won, the hulk had a height advantage and way more experience. But the worse thing above all, was that he'd beaten them with a petty stick. Just thinking about that smug, satisfied smile he wore made the red head so frustrated. _Does nothing faze the Boss? There has to be something, a weakness to exploit, anything._

The thief suddenly remembered that he'd come to retrieve Zidane. "Where are yer?" he asked the darkness. The fatigue that had threatened to consume him during dinner was making an unwelcome return.

"I lost...I lost the cups!"

He reached out blindly until he touched a quivering shoulder. "Alright, alright, no point cryin about it, I've got yer." He hauled Zidane up, who then clung to him. "Don't like the forest at night, huh?" He felt Zidane's grip on his shirt tighten. "That's dumb, yer stared death in the face this morning and it didn't seem to bother yer at all!" Blank had to laugh a little.

"I weak still," Tribal said sadly. "I so small, can't help."

Hearing Zidane talking like that was worse than the sobbing. Blank smacked him over the back of the head. "Oi, yer saved my ass out there too, remember? I won't forget that!"

The blond tensed up from the blow and pushed him away. "Why you hit me?" he snapped.

"Well someone needs to knock some sense into yer!" he growled before starting to pick up the dishes. "Yer don't give up just coz things get a bit rough." He thrust them back into Zidane's hands. "You'll only get stronger if yer keep training."

There was stony silence between the boys as they made their way back to the others. Zidane could still feel the bump behind his ear smarting. _He doesn't have to keep battering me to make a point!_

Upon return to the camp site they found Marcus and Cinna playing cards.

"You found 'im then?" Baku closed up his tent and set himself down on one of the larger logs. The fire in front of him burned steadily with the flames dancing and twisting around one another. Smaller red embers glowed as the wood crumbled into ash, it was an inviting heat and the children warmed themselves for a while.

Above their heads the sky was cloudless. Here, away from the lights and industry of Lindblum the night display was quite spectacular. The twin moons: one blue and the other red, were very clear. Against the blanket of stars it only served to make them look even more beautiful.

"Ya wanna hear somethin' interesting about those moons?" Baku began. The group automatically looked up. "The blue one always shines brighter even when its hidden behind the red one. The red one's completely in shadow whenever it gets stuck behind."

Marcus took a swig from his water bottle. "Didn't take you to be an astrologist, Boss," he said honestly.

"Haven't yer ever wanted to explore the moons? Never had dreams 'bout seeing Gaia from all the way up there?" The boys lack of enthusiasm made him curse. "I suppose yer haven't noticed the lunar eclipse every sixteen days, either!" More blank looks. "Boys, this planet ain't just a hunk a rock that we live on. The moons and Gaia are connected!"

Even this revelation didn't seem to impress anyone. Cinna coughed politely and said, "Look, we're thieves not scholars, Boss. As long as the moons don't fall, what they do and why they do it shouldn't matter, right?"

"Give me strength..." Baku muttered under his breath. "Don't know why I bother!" He took a silver flask from his waistcoat pocket and poured a small measure of something into the lid. "Come 'ere," he commanded to the monkey tailed boy. "Yer still lookin pale."

"Erm..." He squirmed under Bosu's scrutiny but obeyed. Then the flask was held out before him but Zidane wasn't quite sure what to do.

"What's the matter, you never had a drink before?" The child nodded. "Try it - put hairs on yer chest!"

Zidane necked a whole capful of the foul brown liquor. As the liquid went down his throat it burned and the smell blasted through his nostrils so that he nearly gagged. He coughed and coughed amongst the laughter and mirth of his companions. Baku nearly went so far as to fall off the log entirely.

"Water?" Marcus offered the canister which was grabbed immediately and gulped down.

"Yer too soft on 'im!" Baku pouted. "Spoiling my fun..." He took another measure for himself and swallowed loudly, before fixing Blank and Zidane with a strange stare. "Yer really hatin me right now, ain't yer?"

Blank huffed and crossed his arms. "Got that right, old man." This response only earned him a long, hard laugh from Bosu who took yet another drink.

"Boss, what we do get stronger?" Zidane surprised everyone with his slurred, but determined question. His small body was reeling from the effects of the booze and he started to hiccup uncontrollably.

This delighted Baku as he went on to share his opinion. "Well to start with kid, you're pretty agile and light. Yer could avoid most attacks by just jumping and rolling around, but yer don't have the strength or stamina to attack head on. Yer didn't have the faintest idea what to do with that dagger either 'part from stabbin me with the pointy end!"

"Oh yeah?" Blank sneered. "Anyone could say that! Words of wisdom my arse!"

In the firelight Baku's goggles glinted. His face was half cast in shadow so it was difficult to read the expression on his face. "You on the other hand, little brat have plenty of oomph but I can knock yer off your feet without too much trouble!"

"So what? It's only been the first day of training! By the end of the week I'll have yer begging for mercy!"

"Gwahahaha! Begging for mercy? That's a good one! Gwahahaha!" He recovered himself before standing and delibrately walked over to where Blank sat. His large, intimidating body blocked out the fire light completely. "Yer think today was hard? That was nothin but a play fight!" His tone turned cold and nasty. "I could have gut yer half a dozen times over if I'd wanted to!"

Blank drew air into his nostrils. _Would it kill you to give me a bit of encouragement, for once?_ He thought bitterly. Then the anger started building making his ears tingle and his hands balled into fists. "I ain't afraid of dying!" he said. "If that's what yer getting at!"

This seemed to strike a nerve with the Boss. "Well yer should be!" he snarled back. "It ain't a game when a man has a knife to yer throat, or a pack of wolves is hunting yer down. It's the fear that keeps yer alive. Spouting crap like that... Stop actin like a spoilt kid!"

"I am a kid!" Blank exclaimed his shout echoing through the entire forest, birds roosting in the nearby trees scattered.

Immediately afterwards he regretted the outburst. He looked around the group, Cinna and Marcus were open mouthed. Zidane, drowsy with the booze only stared into the fire. But the leader of Tantalus ignored him and instead reached over the red head to pick up one of the backpacks. He resumed his original position on the log and brought out a brown pipe and some tobacco which he began stuffing into the bowl. It was rare to see the Boss smoke as his main vice was usually coffee, however when outdoors by the campfire he never missed the opportunity.

Baku took a puff from his pipe. "So you're just a kid? That makes it okay to be Parcel's punching bag, eh?"

"Just shut up!" He sprung up, teeth gnashing together with rage.

The Boss took another deep drag and blew smoke rings into the air. He lifted his goggles up following them until they dispersed. "Soon as yer joined my crew you became a man. I ain't gonna stand for snot nosed brats and whinin, and if yer can't stomach that you can get the hell out!"

"Stuff you!" Blank had reached his limit. He was grateful for all that Baku had done for him, but there were times when he just wished the man would cut him some slack. _Why does he have to keep pushing? Why is my best never good enough?_

The red head turned on his heel and strode into the trees.

"Runnin' away?" Baku cooed after him.

"I'm goin' to take a leak!"

There was no come back for that so silence reigned once more. Zidane rubbed his eyes, seeing tiny flecks of white light in his vision against a block of black. _I'm not drinking that weird stuff ever again!_ he promised himself. When he looked about there was no sign of Blank, and the other Tantalus brothers were oddly quiet. It was as if the happy atmosphere from before had been stolen away.

"That's always gonna be a part of his problem," Baku grumbled. "Blinkin hot headed mongrel, takes everything so personally."

"You could be kinder," Marcus spoke up as he ladled the remaining stew into a tub.

"I've given that lad a roof over his head and food in his belly!" he replied. "I've been kinder to 'im than the scum who torched his 'ome! But I'm not his father! And if he's crying like some whelp been kicked, am not givin no sympathy!" The rest of the group visibly withered with his harsh words. "If he wants attention," now his voice grew quieter, "that's what _you lot_ are for."

* * *

The next day Baku took the new equipment for a spin and tried to gain more experience. Meanwhile Cinna and Marcus took over training but they found themselves with a very stubborn Blank who refused to move.

"Don't see why I should bother when the Boss thinks am useless!" he sulked. Last night's harsh words were still fresh in the young boy's mind. His motivation to train had been sucked completely out of him.

It was Cinna who played councillor this time, taking a seat next to the red head who avoided his eyes. "So you got the stuffing knocked out of yer, happens to the best of us!" he confided, patting the child on the back. "Forget about combat training for the time being. Today we're gonna learn some pretty cool stealing moves..."

"Big deal." Blank huffed determined to remain in his pit of negativity.

 _Looks like I'll have to pull out the big guns!_ Cinna thought. He reached for his belt and slowly withdrew his hammer. To any observer the hammer appeared to be perfectly ordinary. It had flat steel faces at both ends and a long wooden handle. But Cinna never allowed anyone else to touch it, and woe betide any mortal that dare try to use it. When it came to his hammer, Cinna's passion bordered on obsession. So it was quite strange for the young man to offer the hammer to Blank.

"Are yer serious?" the child asked, hardly believing his eyes. He took the tool and felt the weight of it in his small hands.

Cinna smiled. "Sure, but only if yer come training, deal?" With that Blank jumped up more than ready to go. "Too easy..." He gave a light chuckle and followed the youth towards Zidane and Marcus.

They entered another section of the forest where the trees were far more sparse allowing golden sunshine to filter through. The foliage growing here was tropical green, plants with gigantic copper leaves, their tips dipped a crimson red took advantage of the sun trap. Thick vines and twisting creepers latched onto the amazing stone columns that jutted from the forest floor.

"Okay, so you've pretty much got the idea of how to steal from a monster. But stealing from folks isn't exactly the same!" Cinna explained. "Hey, you're looking stronger, Zidane!"

He blushed. "You think so?"

"Absolutely!" the blacksmith insisted. "You'll be giving the Boss a run for his money in no time!"

"You silly..." Zidane said pushing him away, his tail was twitching and he didn't like the way Cinna had gotten so close either.

"Aww, now don't be like that!" Cinna came back again and put an arm around his shoulder. "Yer Tantalus Brothers are here to help!" At that remark he walked away and watched with glee as Tribal's trousers fell down and his long blond hair came loose.

Blank knew exactly what his friend had been up to, but even he hadn't seen _how_ he did it. He saw Zidane's confusion as he tried to grasp how the ribbon had come undone, and why his belt (which had been tied so snug against his slim waist) had just disappeared!

"Ta dah!" He revealed the belt and teal blue ribbon from underneath his hat. The children gasped in awe and he took a short bow to their round of applause.

"That was pretty cool, but yer won't fool me!" Blank smirked.

"Ah, such confidence - I'd expect no less!" Cinna said as he returned Zidane's belongings. He knelt down and wrapped the belt around the child once more who still appeared to be more than a little disgruntled with the joke. "Alright, sorry little guy, won't do it again!" He pulled a funny face at Zidane which succeeded in making the kid laugh at least. "Being able to charm any noble makes it easy to part them from their goods. And I tell yer what, with a cute face like yours, you've got it made!"

Zidane cocked his head at this statement. _What do you mean?_ He sighed before spinning around, allowing Cinna to tie his hair back up. Out of everyone in Tantalus this was the one man he hadn't quite worked out yet. He smelled of grease and bacon, and spent most of his time hiding either in the cellar or the kitchens.

"By the way Blank, what's the time?"

The red head reached deep into his pocket. "It's about..." He stopped and then fumbled as he felt around for the familiar rounded disc. _I put it in here!_ But there was no doubt, the pocket watch which Marcus had given to him as a birthday present was gone!

"Looking for this?" Cinna enquired swinging the silver watch to and fro.

"How the hell did you? _When_ did you even-"

He tutted. "Why else do you think I let you to carry my hammer? I mean, duh!"

"You planned this before we left the camp?!" Blank was aghast, he thought Cinna had been trying to cheer him up. It turned out the thief was just tricking him.

Watching from the sidelines Marcus had thoroughly enjoyed the show. Cinna didn't often have the time to shine like this, there was actually a very competent and clever person buried deep within him. He'd always been skittish and jumpy, even when he first arrived, but he felt Cinna was starting to drown in Baku's endless demands. Rather than confront the Tantalus leader over his ridiculous workload; Cinna continued to run around like a headless chicken, and try to cram as much as he could into a single day. It was almost painful to watch.

Now Marcus went over to his elder and gave him a high five. "You've still got the moves, Cin!"

The chef looked very pleased with himself as he threw the watch back to Blank, who caught it. "Thieving is all about opportunity. Sometimes yer can plan for it and other times yer have to wing it. That's what makes it a career like no other!" He scratched his thin beard. "Yer wanna know what makes a good pickpocket?"

"Don't get caught?" Blank suggested with a lacklustre tone.

 _Wise guy!_ Cinna grinned. "The best pickpockets in town can adapt to any situation _and_ know when to quit. No point stealing the biggest diamond ring if you land in jail. Yer can always try again another day!"

"So, how did you steal the belt? I was watchin and I still can't work it out!"

"You were watching but saw what I wanted you to. The hand is faster than the eye! Here, let me show you with this scarf..."

For the rest of the morning the lesson continued. Cinna taught his subordinates how to slash open a purse and collect the loot inside without being seen. He explained that in order to pull off a more 'intimate steal' as he called it the unfortunate victim had to be put off guard. If a quick tap of the shoulder, or an accidental bump didn't work then a compliment might! Timing was a key issue in all of this and holding ones nerve.

Marcus demonstrated many times making it look so easy. Blank became despondent at first because there was so much to remember. It was tricky trying not to look suspicious, getting the job done and then making a quick exit.

"I'm never gonna get the hang of this!" he moaned.

"That's because yer thinkin about it too much! Keep practising until it becomes second nature. You've got the advantage bro, smaller, lighter and faster than me. If I can pull it off then yer definitely shouldn't have any problem!" Marcus gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "I have faith in you."

Blank had to admit it felt so nice to hear those words. He suddenly realised that he'd missed spending time with Marcus, just the two of them. His attention was so fixated on Zidane these days and keeping him out of trouble. "Why does Baku hate me so much?" he asked when they took a small break.

The teenager laughed. "He doesn't hate yer, the Boss is in charge is all. Can't expect him to be a pal one day and give orders the next, that ain't how things work!"

"He doesn't give Zi a hard time," Blank said, roughly picking at the tuffs of grass.

"Zidane doesn't try to challenge him every five minutes! I mean, you practically back chat everything he asks yer to do. That's why he gets cranky!"

Blank thought about this and knew he was right. Still, he wasn't quite prepared to admit it. "I'm not gonna become some pushover! And besides, sometimes he says things that make me wanna punch him!"

"Only because you let them get to yer." Marcus tried to reason with him. "Look, in the future there's gonna be guys that are all talk. They'll give it all 'this' tryin to get a rise from yer. Do you really want a bottle in your face cos of some bar brawl? I've heard of folks goin blind over petty fights - it ain't worth the hassle!"

The boy crossed his arms and sighed. "Okay, I'll try to _calm down_." He was surprised when he found himself suddenly wrapped up in a hug. "Bro..." he complained. "You're kinda squashing me!"

"Sorry!" Marcus said releasing him and then the two smiled at each other. "Yer ready for another round?"

"Yeah, I'll nail it this time!"

* * *

When it came to turn in that night everyone was in a far better mood. Baku after a day of grinding had managed to acquire several new abilities including Anti-Body, Bright Eyes and Bug Killer. He was keen for Marcus and Cinna to hit the fields tomorrow so they could do the same. As for Zidane and Blank he half muttered something about trying the combat training again, but this time they would all begin with sticks!

It was about half way through the night when Tribal found himself wide awake. The call of nature was to blame, but he really didn't want to go out alone. Waking Blank wasn't an option as he was such a deep sleeper that even a storm wasn't enough to rouse him. He sat up and listened to the wind which was whipping the sides of the tent. _I wish Cinna hadn't told me that ghost story!_ He thought. At the time around the campfire with everyone laughing he'd been so eager to listen to the gory and spooky details. Now in the darkness and alone it was very different.

Carefully he crept on his knees to the door and peeked out. As expected there was nothing there only the leaves rustling. Steadily the pressure on his bladder was becoming unbearable. _I really have to go!_ He had no choice and fought to get his boots on before slowly lifting the flap. Squeezing through the gap he quickly closed the door.

Out in the open, he immediately became aware of how chilly it was with even the last embers of the fire dying out. He scurried towards the nearest tree finally able to relieve himself, sighing with bliss. After zipping up his trousers he was about to head back to bed when he heard a noise. Zidane immediately dived and crouched behind the tent.

That was when he saw it. In the eerie light of the red moon a hulking beast with twin pincers like a crab crept silently around the camp. _It's the Forest Demon! He's come to take us away!_ Cinna's words came unbidden into his mind: The Forest Demon who would come to steal children away in the small hours when all others were asleep. He cut out their hearts to gorge on them and used their skulls as drinking cups.

Frozen to the spot Zidane could hear the creature drawing closer and closer. Its heavy, rasping breathing made his skin crawl, and he could feel a scream welling up inside. When he turned there were two pig like heads with black skin and jagged scars towering over him. Finally the monkey tailed boy couldn't take it anymore and gave an almighty yell. The pincers made to grab the child but he kicked hard against them. He took off shrieking and screaming as loud as he could before scrambling up the nearest tree.

"What in the name of Gaia, is goin' on here?" Baku roared and stumbled out of his tent. Dressed only in a modest nightshirt that clung to his large belly, he looked around wildly. Soon he was joined by Cinna and Marcus armed to the teeth with hammer and sword. They wandered towards the source of the commotion. "What the 'eck you screaming about, kid?" he growled. "I'm tryin to sleep here!"

"Forest Demon!" came the answer and the Tantalus leader grew even more confused.

Cinna winced, this was his doing plain and simple. Baku would kill him. "Geez, there's no Forest Demon, Zidane! It's just a stupid ghost story!"

"Hey Boss, that you?" someone called out to their left.

That made everyone jump.

"Who the devil is that?" Bosu demanded.

From the right came yet another voice, "That's him! That's the Boss!"

"Marcus, give us some light, will yer?" His request was met by match and candle, until the hazy glow of a lantern finally revealed the strangers. In the dim light Baku's eyes widened. "Well I'll be, Zenero and Benero! You boys followed us all the way out here?"

"Been a long while, Boss!" said Benero the slightly taller of the two.

"We came for training!" Zenero added sounding very excited.

Benero and Zenero were brothers, and had only recently joined the Tantalus Theatre Troupe after the promise of a good wage and plenty of action. It had taken a little time for the thieves to get their affairs into order, as they were trying to provide for a total of ten siblings. The Nero family was made up of both brothers and sisters who relied entirely on Benero and Zenero for income. They'd been searching for a suitable living space for quite a while, so naturally Baku was surprised to see them in the dead of night.

"So, who's the new kid?" Zenero referred to the blond boy still hiding in the tree.

"Yeah, who's the new kid?"

Marcus came to stand beneath the branch where Zidane was. "There's nothing to be scared of! These guys are our friends, okay? Come down and say hello!"

Slowly Zidane descended still unsure about the pair. He stayed behind Marcus who forcefully pushed him in front of the brothers. He could see now that they wore thick leather masks and what he though were scars actually turned out to be poor stitch work coming apart. They had cute floppy ears crinkled at the edges.

"What's your name?" Benero asked raising his claw in greeting.

"What's your name?" Zenero repeated and also offered the same greeting.

Tribal gulped. "Zidane..." he said awkwardly. "You not Forest Demon?"

The brothers looked at each other. "Forest Demon?" they said. "Not us!"

Baku, still dressed only in his nightgown, shivered in the chilly breeze. "Alright boys, enough with the damn intro! Marcus, Cinna, get another tent set up – I'm goin back to bed." He started back to his tent but at the last moment turned around. "Hey, Tribal..." He pointed directly at Zidane. "No more ghost stories for you!"


	9. Changing Times

**Chapter 9 – Changing Times**

It had been a gruelling training schedule and by the end of the week Zidane and Blank were ready to drop. They had bruises on their bruises and not much else to show for their hard work. But despite this the boys were beaming. Something had changed, they weren't the same frightened children as when they first entered the forest. Now the carvers and pythons thought twice about attacking them. They weren't experts and would still need to practise every day to build up their strength. But even Baku could see their potential and though begrudging and stiff in his praise he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

"Time to head 'ome!" he said as they finished packing their gear.

Both Zenero and Benero were overjoyed to hear this as sleeping on the ground night after night was no joke. They were fed up with stones sticking into their backs and the relentless chirping of insects! The brothers were dreaming of a soft bed, home cooking and sweet kisses from the ladies. Unfortunately for the dear pair the path of true love had never run smoothly. Women just weren't interested and they couldn't even begin to put their finger on why. They'd tried to buy them drinks, give flowers and even sing ballads! Their hearts were full to bursting with affection but this only served to drive away the object of their desire. But they never allowed this to dampen their spirits and remained optimistic.

It was dark when the group finally set their eyes on Tantalus Headquarters. The clock chimed eleven as Zidane zipped up the steps but the others slowly ascended at a more modest pace. Baku unlocked the door and entered the dusty, drafty tower they liked to call home. Everyone piled in and greeted the place as they would an old friend. Marcus lit the lamps spread sporadically around the main room as Cinna tried to rustle up a late supper. The Nero brothers shovelled some coal into the fire place and set about lighting it.

Sat at the main table everyone shared what was left of the pork pie and cheese and toasted the stale bread. It wasn't a meal for kings to be sure but enough to settle their growling stomachs. Tomorrow they would need to get their affairs in order. There was shopping, laundry and cleaning to be done. Their weapons needed sharpening and purses needed filling. It had been a while since they'd caught up on news happening in the city as well. The senior Tantalus members were keen to have a leisurely drink at the pub before seeking jobs requiring their expertise. But all of this could wait, it was time for bed.

"I'm beat," Marcus admitted rubbing his eyes. He took a lantern and carefully began to climb the rungs of the rickety ladder.

"What that?" Zidane asked suddenly as he looked up towards the loft.

The group strained their ears to listen but couldn't hear anything aside from the boy's swishing tail.

Blank shrugged. "Probably mice they've had the run of the place for a whole week!" He was used to hearing them scurry about. They'd have to put some traps out in the morning along with poison pellets to stop the buggers breeding.

"Mice, eh? Baku muttered as his keen eyes made a sweep of the room. His fingers reached for the sword at his belt as he stood up. He pointed towards a small hung window which had a hole about the size of a fist through it. "Last time I checked mice don't break windows."

This caused quite a ruckus in the troupe as their thoughts flew immediately to robbery. They headed straight for the stairs. As Marcus was already on the ladder he continued to climb and poked his head out. Sure enough there were pieces of glass on the floor but it appeared nothing had been taken. The chests, clothes and other valuables remained undisturbed.

"It's clear here, Boss!" he reported hanging the light on a hook driven into the beams.

Bosu rubbed his head. "Could be a kid causin mischief, throwing stones..." The only problem with this theory was that the bolt on the window was busted, someone had definitely broken the latch. "Check the other rooms, boys. See if anything's missin."

The Tantalus Troupe searched but nothing had been taken. Old Ben's tolls announced midnight and by this point everyone's heads were nodding. Baku made the decision to send his crew to bed and rotate a watch, it wouldn't do any good to be caught out in their sleep.

Baku kept his back flush to the wall as he waited on the landing. _Somethin don't smell right._ He thought tapping the wooden chair arm. Most thieves would break in, take what they wanted and scarper. With the whole troupe away it had been the ideal time to bleed them dry. Not that Tantalus was 'rich' far from it! But that didn't mean they would just let people walk all over them.

It was then he heard a muffled shout coming from above and the giant jumped to his feet. _That ain't no mouse!_ He dashed up the stairs following the noise until he came upon a large wardrobe. Baku snatched the door open.

"Get away from me!" piercing screaming exploded from inside.

"You?!" he exclaimed before the door was slammed shut. He tried again but the occupant appeared to be in some kind of daze.

"Keep those dirty mitts away from me, or I'll gut yer like a hog!" She held a cutlass with the pointy end now directed at the Baku's stomach.

Slowly the man tried to back away. "Alright girlie, no need to be so lively!" The blade however followed his path as her legs dangled when she hopped out. He really didn't want to be stabbed in the guts so Bosu continued to retreat until they reached the bunk beds.

"Boss, what's up?" Blank squinted half asleep. He watched curiously as their leader appeared to be shuffling backwards. Then finally she came into view as well. "Whoa! Hey!" He leapt from the bunk. "What are yer doing, you gone barmy or what?"

"Just keep 'im away!" she warned staring angrily at Baku. Her grey eyes were large and bulging. "Or I swear am gonna run him through!"

"Kid, you've gotta wake her up, " Bosu's voice was strained. "She's sleep walkin!"

"What?" he cried out.

Keeping the two males in a line she circled them. The cutlass remained far too close for comfort but the red head could see clearly now. Her clothes were ripped and there was a very swollen, purple mark on her neck. The usually pale face was red raw. "Ruby?" his voice became softer. "Rubes, I'll keep him away if that's what yer want. I won't let anyone near yer, promise."

She was still holding the weapon between them with both hands.

"Promise me?" The words were more like a plea and there were tears brimming in her eyes.

She looked so frightened, a world away from the bossy, nuisance of a girl who pushed everyone around. He'd never seen this side of Ruby before and couldn't describe how it made him feel. All he knew was that he didn't like it and wanted to make it stop.

"I promise," Blank said seriously.

With that she sank to her knees exhausted. The cutlass forgotten, the child squeezed two shaking arms around herself and rocked back and forth. She bit into her sleeve to try and prevent sobs from escaping. Gingerly, Blank came to sit beside her but couldn't think of the right words. To Ruby that was fine. It was enough to know that he was there and she could cling to that.

A while later her teeth began chattering so he retrieved a blanket and placed it about her shoulders. Blank offered a belated tissue so she could blow her nose. Again they sat there in silence. By now the Nero brothers were yawning, Zidane had fallen asleep against Marcus' shoulder and Baku was left wondering if it was safe to approach yet.

"Yer still wanna run me through?"

"Oh Boss," she gasped. "I'm so sorry!"

He chuckled. "Don't worry about it, yer was caught up in some nightmare. Still," he considered. "Nice to know yer can handle yourself in a pinch!"

"What happened, Rubes?" Blank could still feel the girl quivering despite the blanket.

She took a shuddering breath. "Last night Pa was drinkin again, and he came 'ome all riled up. Kept shoutin stuff bout how I shouldn't hang around with a buncha men. Called me a slut and I said Uncle Baku and you boys ain't like that!" Ruby rubbed her wrist absently. "Well, he didn't like that at all! He slapped me hard."

"Bastard." Baku clenched his fists.

"It's okay, I'm kinda used ter all that." She swallowed. "But then he had his hands round my neck an' I couldn't breathe. Started seein stars and feelin all weak and I jus' lashed out! I punched Pa and then he got _real_ mad! He was screeching like a wildcat: 'Git out, git out! Or I'm gonna string yer neck!' and I jus' ran and ran. You boys were on a trip so I broke the window, I'm sorry but I had no place to go!"

"Yer did the right thing," Blank reassured her. "Right, Boss?"

Baku nodded. "Damn right, yer stayin with us till we sort things out."

She sniffed. "I don't wanna cause no trouble for you folks."

"Ain't no trouble."

"I dunno whut to say!"

"Don't think about it no more." He smiled warmly. "Yer Tantalus brothers are family an' we look after our own!" Overcome the girl went to him. The giant hugged Ruby gently afraid that he might crush her small frame. With his fearsome reputation, seeing the Boss going soft over a lass caused more than a few amused grins around the room. With the mystery solved it meant they could finally retire that is - with one extra guest!

* * *

The next morning Baku gathered everyone around. "Alright we need to move the gear from the old stock room!" A great grumbling followed but he was having none of that. "Lady needs a room so stop complaining and shift!"

Everyone lent a hand to settle Ruby in. Zenero and Benero made sure the old costumes found new homes and located a bed. Zidane put some flowers he'd picked into a vase on the dresser, and Blank managed to retrieve a comb and mirror set he'd kept aside. Marcus found some spare clothes (gratefully received) and Cinna a bedpan (not so much!) By the time they were finished she was tearful again. They left her to sleep until dinner was ready and then began to discuss the new play.

Over three days passed and Baku had expected the girl's father to come to their door and start a ruckus by now. So when there was still no sign of him they decided to investigate. Ruby wanted to return home anyway to collect a few things, but she was afraid to go alone. Blank came along for moral support - or rather he was volunteered by the troupe. He was getting used to being picked for anything regarding Ruby, despite the fact that she still irritated the hell out of him.

"Whut if Pa starts a fight?" she confided to the red head as they walked side by side.

Blank grinned. "I'd put my bets on the Boss!"

She sighed. "Will yer be serious for a minute? Oh my Gawd, we're here."

The children had stopped outside one of the smallest houses on the block. To say it had a rustic charm was generous. There were tiles missing from the roof, graffiti on the walls and patched up windows. The faded green door looked like it hadn't been painted in years.

"You live here?!" Blank said in shock. In all the time he'd known the girl not once did he imagine that she might live in conditions like this. _Haven't you got a home to go to?_ He remembered saying and suddenly felt very guilty indeed.

"It's 'ome," she whispered fiddling with her grey hair.

Baku rapped on the door which as it turned out was already open. It made a loud creaking sound as they stepped inside. The place was a mess with upturned tables, empty bottles and curtains lying in tatters on the floor. Cautiously, the trio watched their step as they navigated their way around the wreckage.

"Pa?" Ruby called out but there was no answer. "That is mighty strange. Even when he goes off the wall he'd never go this far. I don't-" Suddenly her sight was cut off. "Dang gummit, whacha think you're doin? Let go of me!"

But Blank did not let go as what he saw made him wish he really hadn't. As Ruby struggled against him he was determined not to allow the girl to have such a horrible image carved into her brain forever. It was a man slumped to one side. His skin was ashen grey and dried crusty blood trailed from his mouth. He'd been shot in the head at point blank range.

Baku took action and lifted a table cloth to place over the dead body. Swiftly, he closed the study door and gestured towards the stairs. "Blank, stop messin about yer ginger brat!" he growled giving him a cuff around the ear for good measure. "Put her down!"

"Oww, it was a joke!" Blank said playing along but then added, "Geez that really hurt!"

Ruby swiped at him as well. "Well, yer sure deserved it! What kinda man likes to scare a lady, huh? Don't cha think this is freakin me out enough?"

"Fine, sorry! So where's this loot you stashed anyway?"

"Upstairs, and it ain't _loot_!" she corrected sternly as they began to climb the steep staircase. "It's a buncha stuff belonging to my ma. I had to hide it in case pa tried to sell it for his drinkin."

Bosu called up to them, "Looks like he ain't come back yet so might as well grab what yer need, I'll guard the door."

"Thanks Boss, yer sure are nice!"

That left Blank to follow his friend to the back of the house. There was a small washroom on their left and to the right was the master bedroom. Ruby bypassed these seeming to be on a mission. They turned a corner and found a part of the house shrouded in shadow. The ceiling was low and the walls narrow. At the very end they halted outside a white door. He saw her hesitate outside.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothin," she said. "Jus' never had a boy see ma room before."

Blank huffed. "Like I care, seeing a buncha dolls and dresses!"

In they went and for the second time that day the thief was speechless. It was almost completely empty, save for the sorry excuse for a bed. Propped up was a mirror with a crack that zigzagged from one end to another. There were no dolls or teddies. The clothes horse near to the smeared greasy window contained some underclothes, ragged skirts and blouses that had been patched up more than once. A melted down stub in a bottle was clogged with dried wax.

Ruby smiled and brushed the cold picture less walls with her fingertips. She headed over to one of the floor boards in the corner and tugged at it. "Yer got somethin I can lift this with?" When the boy didn't respond she looked up. Blank was pale but she couldn't read his face as he gazed around the room. "Hey!" she tried again. "Yer deaf as well as stupid?"

"What?" he said finally.

Ruby pointed to his belt. "Can I borrow yer dagger? I need ter to prise this open a sec!"

Coming to his senses the red head came forward and helped. Together they managed to pull the wood up until Ruby leant in and retrieved a drawstring bag. It was made from purple velvet and decorated with green rhinestones. She opened it up and produced a pair of ballet slippers. Her shoulders sagged with relief as she cuddled them.

"They belong to yer mom?"

She prepared herself for some nasty throwaway comment. "Yeah."

"They're pretty," he muttered, his cheeks dusted with just a hint of pink. "Where is she?"

"Well, she's dead." Ruby replied simply and was surprised by his reaction. It was like he'd just swallowed a fly. "Died durin childbirth - ma fault as Pa always says. Wishes it were me sometimes but that's jus' the whisky talkin." She smiled absently. "Ma was a dancer at the theatre company in Treno. She was ever so good, could bend her legs right over her head! Then she met Pa fell in love and all that. They got married and moved to little ol' Lindblum, they were so happy. Now it's..." She stopped for a moment then seemed to shake her head. "Now is jus' different is all."

It was difficult for Blank to digest this. How could she be so cheerful about things? It made him angry. What was worse was that there wasn't anything he could do about it. He felt like he owed a debt to Ruby for taking care of him after his encounter with Parcel. But as a thief bringing people back from the dead was beyond his abilities.

"Look at me ramblin on!" she said breaking the awkward silence.

He glanced at the slippers. "I'm sorry about yer mom. I'm sorry about..." Then the words caught in his throat. _What good will it do, tellin her that?_ A voice in his head snarled and Blank struggled. If the man downstairs was Ruby's father it meant she was an orphan now, just like him. "Look, just hurry up will yer? I'm not waitin round all day!"

"Alright, alright!" Now she quickly reached down once more and this time pulled out a silk scarf. It was aqua in colour and trimmed with a silver lining. She stood up and wrapped it around her neck. "Thanks, Blank."

"Whatever!"

They gathered the small amount of clothes Ruby had to her name and made their way down the stairs.

"You ready to go?" Baku was waiting holding open the front door. The young lady nodded and without looking back stepped out into the bright sunshine.

As the Boss had business to take care of Ruby and Blank returned to Tantalus Headquarters alone. They came across Cinna who was outside busy sharpening blades on a whetstone.

"Hey guys, how'd it go?"

She stretched her hands behind her back. "After all that he wasn't even there!"

"Well, for the best I suppose!" he said and picked another weapon, this was a broadsword caked in rust. His face was already looking a bit red from exertion. Cinna had to be careful not to be too heavy handed or else the edge might break. Tantalus didn't need blades that let them down at a crucial moment!

"Yer seen Zidane?"

The blacksmith let out a despondent sigh.

"Blank!" Speaking of the monkey boy he came running out the front entrance jumping up and down. "Come inside, come inside! I wanna show you!" Then he was gone.

"He's been like this ever since he came back with Marcus. I mean, I dunno where he gets his energy from! He's been bouncing around the clock tower like some wacko Jack in the box."

Blank smirked. "I thought it was weird, you being so eager to get outside and sharpen stuff!"

"Cheeky little-"

"Gotta go!" he cut off his friend and slipped inside the building.

They found Zidane standing proudly beside a crate. On top amongst the small pile of gil was a pearl necklace, silk handkerchiefs, a pocket watch and a ring. His hair was looking pretty tussled as though he'd been running like the wind.

"You see what I got?" he asked. Nervously Zidane waited for his friend's opinion. Blank picked up the pearls running the string of orbs along his teeth. Then he picked up the ring and turned it over in the light, it sparkled and shone. The red head considered his younger colleague in crime with a lot more respect.

"It's your first day on the job and yer actually managed to nab a diamond ring?" He just couldn't believe it. _Jammy git!_ _Zi gets a head start thieving and am stuck between a girl and a dead body! Great!_ "That ain't half bad!" Blank admitted and was blinded by the brightest smile he had ever seen.

"I did good?" he demanded. "Blank proud?"

"Geez, why does it matter what I think?" he growled but when faced with the set of adorable blue eyes he relented. "Yer did a good job." Blank was not known as the self esteem boosting machine. He wasn't used to giving compliments and this was killing him. "Well done...Keep up the good work..."

For Ruby however this delight in stealing felt wrong. "That's real nice, pumpkin!" She managed a small smile for Zidane but knew he'd started on the slippery slope to corruption. No one remained innocent in Tantalus for long. "Look, am gonna go and get sorted out. I'll be seein yer boys later!" With that she took the pile of clothes from Blank, rushed into her bedroom and closed the door.

Blank rolled his eyes. "Girls are so weird," he muttered to himself. Zidane tilted his head the way he often did when confused. "Hey, wanna practise swordplay?" A sly grin now broke out on the monkey boy's face he most certainly understood that!

* * *

Early evening there was a knock at the door, it turned out to be none other than Officer Clatterbridge who needed to speak with Ruby. He brought with him the grave news that Mr Mason had been murdered. His body was found in an alleyway outside the 'Twin Moons' a local pub. The only comfort William could offer was that her father's death would have been swift.

To add further insult to injury he explained that Mr Mason had been spiralling into debt. He had several loans owed to various business partners in the city. Seeing as the man did not possess a will and complaints had gone so far as reach the Regent something had to be done. It was decided therefore that the house belonging to Ruby's father would be put up for sale, and the proceeds would be used to pay off the deficit. Legally she was not entitled to counter claim until she was sixteen years of age. In addition as a woman she did not hold the same rights as a male heir. In all likelihood Ruby would never see a single penny of her inheritance.

The child nodded to indicate her comprehension but hardly said more than a few words. He kindly offered his services for help and advice should she require them. She had no additional questions and only thanked Mr Clatterbridge for his time. As he left, Ruby returned to her sanctuary stating that she didn't want anything to eat. The boys could only sit around helplessly pondering what to do.

Later on when Baku had returned he insisted that Blank take some food in. He didn't want to hear how Ruby wasn't hungry. As he saw things when a girl says they want to be alone it really meant you were supposed to follow them. This logic wasn't shared by every soul but since the troupe was concerned everyone agreed to it. So in the end Blank loaded up a tray with a sandwich and some milk. Zidane held open the door and they entered together.

In the dim light they could make out a lump inside the bed and Blank set the tray down on the dresser. "I brought yer a sandwich," he ventured. The lump turned over with a large sigh.

Zidane crept over and lifted up part of the blanket. "Ruby, you 'kay?"

"Jus' leave me alone please, sugar," she said in a croaky voice.

"Come on Zi, let's go."

"But Ruby sad," he said with a pout.

Blank yanked his tail. "If she wants us to go then we gotta go! What do yer want from me?" The child's forehead furrowed, he then picked up the stool and sat down leaning against the bed. "Zidane, this isn't the time to be a stubborn ass!"

"Ruby sad!" he repeated more forcefully.

"She just found out her father's dead! What do yer expect her to feel?" He didn't want to shout at the kid and in a way he wanted to stick around too, but he couldn't force her to talk.

"Blank?" Her voice sounded strange beneath the sheets.

He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Yeah?"

"Pa was already dead in the house weren't he?" She poked her head out. "That's why yer grabbed me?"

Blank refused to look at her. "I just reacted. I mean, did yer really wanna see your old man with his brains blown out?"

That was true enough and Ruby was grateful. "Baku moved the body too, didn't he?"

"He didn't want anyone suspicious of yer, makes sense. Look, I wanted to say something at the house but I wasn't sure. I'm sorry, alright? Just don't get mad and start going crazy again!"

She grinned. "Am I so awful? Maybe I am when I lose it!" Ruby sat up and rested her hands in her lap. "I ain't mad, in fact I thought it were kinda sweet in a way. No one's ever looked out fer me before and I really appreciate it. Yer all so kind to me, including you - little rascal!" She smiled at Zidane and pulled him into a hug. His musical laughter broke the tension in the room.

"Are yer gonna be okay?" Blank said scuffing the front of his boots on the floor.

She looked at him thoughtfully. "Ya know when I lived with Pa I'd have this knot inside all the time. It was funny cuz whenever I came here it would jus' go away like magic. That's why I wan-ted to stay so much. Whenever I came 'ome he'd always be waitin with somethin to say, and I'd feel sick to ma stomach. It's been that way for so long that when that Mister told me about Pa, the first thin that hit me was I didn't have that knot anymore. Does that make me a bad person?"

Blank shook his head. "No way, and don't let anyone tell you any different!"

She played with the fabric of the quilt. "Alright, I won't." _Why would he say somethin like that?_ "I can't help wonderin what am supposed to do now? I know the trade of you folks and I've turned a blind eye to all that. I know it's difficult to understand but my conscience is ma guide and I couldn't turn to thievin!"

"Like the Boss would let you anyway!"

She whipped off the covers and stormed over. "I'm bein serious! If I'm a part of this team, how am I supposed to earn ma keep?"

"Baku won't care about-"

"Hell I sure do!" Ruby interrupted. "I pay my way. I'm not gonna be cooped up in this clock tower swapping one prison for another!"

Finally Blank was starting to see what his friend was driving at. She needed purpose - something that would give her life meaning. Suddenly he pointed to her hand. "Make a fist," he instructed. "Now beat your chest once with it near yer heart."

"Whut?!"

"Just do it!" When she did so he nodded with satisfaction. "Hey Zidane, you should learn this too." They proceeded to copy him. "This is the Tantalus secret salute and only official members can use it! So whenever we meet you've gotta show the salute, got it?" Tribal saluted again although a little too enthusiastically, he clutched his chest in pain. "Not so hard, Little Bro!"

Ruby lifted up her arms and let them droop. "Okay, that was nice and all but I still don't know what am supposed to do."

"Well, isn't it obvious?" he said. The girl was still confused. "You've always wanted to be a famous actress, right? Well, now you can!"

The realisation swept over her. All the promises she'd made year after year about making her dream come true. Her father had put a stop to any hopes but now she had the freedom to make it a reality. "Oh ma stars yer right! I could be famous like Ma. I could make a name for myself in show business!" At this point she grabbed Blank and gave him a huge sloppy kiss on the cheek. "You are such a darlin!"

"Get off me!" In disgust the red head pushed her away. He glared at Zidane who had become seized by a fit of giggles at his expense. "Damn it," he cursed wiping his rosy cheek with a sleeve, "this is why I _hate_ girls!"

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Ruby's story hasn't been expanded upon at all in FF9, so this is my interpretation. I always seem to make the female characters in my stories go through the mill! I don't think I do it delibrately it just turns out that way!


	10. Pantomime Time!

"No way!" Blank shook his head violently as he backed away from Baku. "Yer can get yourself lost!"

Unfortunately this wasn't enough to deter the director. "I'll make it worth yer while!" he said rubbing his large hands together. "I'll put in a word with Trent for a little extra lesson on the Prima Vista..."

His heart skipped a beat and Blank found himself sorely tempted, but one more glance at the offending garment shot his desire down in flames. "Yer could promise me a ship, yer could promise me that I'd never have to do the laundry again, it don't matter! I ain't gonna wear it!"

Bosu's lips twisted as if he were sucking on a lemon. "We need every member of this crew pulling their weight! In three days time we've got a show to do otherwise we'll be a laughing stock. You don't have to say much, just pick up a gold coin and give it to me, how hard can it be?"

"Why can't I be Ali Baba?" Blank pleaded. "He gets to do all the cool stuff like making the wall open and at least he wears a decent costume!"

The man shook his head firmly. "I've told yer a thousand times, Ali Baba is a grown man! Marcus has already learnt the lines-"

"Yer said when I joined Tantalus _I_ became a man, now yer want me to wear...wear...I don't even know what it's supposed to be!" He pointed at the light purple chiffon draped over Baku's arm. "People'll be laughing," he added sourly.

"It's a pantomime, they're supposed to laugh! Zidane has to play a woman too and he ain't being precious about it!"

Blank turned to look at Little Bro and felt his stomach lurch. Zi wore a pair of light blue transparent trousers and sheer top. There was a teal belt strategically wrapped to cover his nether regions, but nevertheless every part of his flawless body could be seen. _I can't wear that!_ He thought in panic. As soon as he stepped onto the stage the audience would see his scars and burns laid bare. His imagination was already running wild with how they might react.

Frederick Parcel had once called him 'The Abomination of Lindblum' and those cruel words had stuck with the red head ever since. He wanted to play his part truly, but this was just too big an ask for him.

"Do I look funny, Blank?" Zidane asked as he admired the soft, padded slippers on his feet.

Then the blond bounced happily towards him. He was wearing a long haired wig that had been plaited so it hung down his left shoulder. In this light he found it difficult to tell whether Zidane was a boy or a girl. Blank wasn't sure what to say to his friend as the pair of giant blue eyes continued to gaze at him. "Yer look great," he said awkwardly.

The monkey boy snatched the costume from Baku and held it out to the thief. "You get dressed too?"

"Er..." Blank suddenly found the purple bedlah in his hands, he swallowed. _What's with this kid?_ He thought in confusion, but there was just something about Zidane that he couldn't say no to. "Fine, I'll try it on," he growled before storming off to the backroom.

Marcus blew out a tired breath as he placed the paintbrush into the pot. He took a step back and admired his handy work; a backdrop showing the inside of the Forty Thieves' treasure cave. It had taken a long time to finish, what with the individual gold coins he'd painted, precious jems and the flickering candle effects. He'd sketched the outline making sure it was perfect and then went on the hunt for all sorts of coloured paint. He remembered when he first got involved in set design and how his scenes resembled the clumsy artwork of Zidane. It had taken a lot of practise to get anywhere near this good.

He watched as Blank swept past without saying a word, Brother looked angry. _Wonder what upset him this time?_ Marcus pondered.

The door closed with a loud bang immediately followed by a laboured dragging sound. Blank was taking no chances. Nobody was going to see him in this state of shame until he had come to terms with it himself. The large, ornate mirror stood by ready to reveal his hateful reflection, filling him with a sense of dread.

Blank wanted more than anything to just run away. If Tantalus was going to force him to 'act' he would rather leave and take his chances on the streets. But then he thought about the life he'd have to leave behind, the people and the place he called home. This realisation hit hard and he put his head in his hands.

After a while Blank finally struggled into the bedlah: essentially a bra with green tassles and long trousers. He was surprised at how soft the material felt against his skin, there the pros ended abruptly. He removed the belt he'd taken to wearing around his head and pulled the wig over it instead. Then Blank stepped in front of the looking glass with his eyes still firmly shut. _This is stupid!_ He chided himself but couldn't seem to gather the courage to even open them. He could feel his heart nearly beating out of his chest. The boy became surrounded by his own heavy breathing in the darkness, time stood still. _Just do it!_ But he couldn't and turned away in defeat.

"Damn it!" he gasped. "I can't...I just can't."

Suddenly there were three loud knocks.

"Go away!" he said racing towards the door, before remembering he'd already blocked it.

"Blank, darlin?" Ruby's voice was muffled through the wood. "Yer decent yet, or needing a little help?"

He leaned his head against the frame. "Go away, Rubes."

There was silence for a moment before she firmly replied. "I ain't budging from this spot until yer open that door!"

A choked laugh escaped from his lips but he still didn't move.

"Whut's got into you?" When there no further response she continued, "I swear I'll bust this thing down!"

Blank flicked a wisp of stray, black hair from his face. "Oh yeah? I'd really like to see that!" he said sneering. "Yer interfering, stubborn witch, go bother someone else!"

"Fine!" she yelled back and thumped the wall.

Finally he heard her footsteps die away and his body slumped down to the floor. _That was kinda nasty, even for me._ He thought and then shook his head. _She asked for it, always sticking her nose in where it don't belong!_

Blank had lost all track of time stuck inside the small room, and his gaze wandered to the props scattered around. Nine wide jars were lined in a row, along with a set of scales and curved scimitar blades. He picked up a turban and gave a deep sigh as he turned it over and over.

Their newest 'play' was called Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves apparently a tale from the Outer Continent. He didn't know much about that part of the world only that Baku had said it was largely covered by the Kiera Desert. Blank knew deserts were meant to be boiling during the day perhaps that was why the women wore such skimpy outfits. Still, he didn't understand why they couldn't just adapt the costumes, or why Baku refused to hire another actress. _It isn't fair!_ He sulked, and tossed the headwear away.

Bang! He felt vibrations jolting along his spine. Bang!

"What the -?"

Bang! It continued then paused until at last he heard Ruby on the other side. "Better let me in, Blank! This door ain't gonna be holdin for long!"

"Yer breaking it down?!" Blank knew Miss Mason was pretty determined but he still couldn't believe she would go this far! "Hey... cut it out!"

"I meant whut I said, now open this darn door!"

Ruby could feel her arms beginning to ache as she pulled back the cart she'd 'borrowed' from Cinna. There was already an impressive dent in the white gloss. She prepared to ram it once more however it seemed the boy had at last decided to cooperate. He poked his head out, scowled, before dragging the girl in with him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Blank hissed as he returned the boxes to their original position. "Baku ain't gonna be happy if you bust up the theatre!"

She grabbed his shoulders and jerked them roughly. "Why, wouldn't yer open the door? I was thinkin the worst!"

Blank gestured to the costume. "Ain't it obvious?"

She burst into giggles. "Aw shucks, in a pantomime it don't matter if a boy dresses like a girl, and a girl dresses like a boy, that's kinda the fun about it!"

"I'm not bothered about _that_!" he huffed. "Just look at me!"

Mason tilted her head slowly from left to right and then smirked. "I can fix that, no problem!"

"You can?" Blank asked, surprised. "But yer can see them pretty clearly... whoa!" As Ruby bent down near to his crotch he jumped away. "Oi, what are yer trying to do?"

Now it was the girl's turn to be surprised. "Well how else am I supposed to fix it? Yer givin everyone a right eyeful hangin about all over the place, shame on you!"

The boy flushed scarlet as he looked down. "I'm what?"

"Now jus' hold still a sec and I'll have it fixed in a jiffy. Can't have our boys exposing themselves, huh?" She tugged and pulled at the plum scarf before tying a secure knot at the back. Blank's body went stiff as a board while she worked. "I dunno, gettin all shy like that, as if I ain't seen it all before!"

"Seen it before?" Blank squeaked.

"After Parcel's beating, not like yer could sit in a tub and wash yourself! Who else do yer think gave yer a bed bath, huh? Pa always said that cleanliness was next to Godliness."

Suddenly he felt very sick indeed. "I don't remember _any_ of that!"

She nodded. "Hmm, yer were pretty out of it those first few days especially with the meds the doc injected. Sometimes it were like talkin to a rag doll!" Now Ruby stood up and took his hand. "We better get rehearsing; this play ain't gonna act itself!"

"I can't go out there," he said wrenching out of her grasp.

His friend's eyebrows rose. "And why not?"

"Don't pretend like yer can't see 'em - my scars!" Blank stabbed at his chest. "I'm a monster! How can I go out there and face the audience? I'll be eaten alive!"

Hearing him talk like that shocked Ruby, it had never occurred to her. As the girl reflected she realised that he did take great pains to cover up his body. She'd often wondered why Blank, even in the height of summer would wear long sleeved shirts. She knew he wouldn't believe her if she told him it was unnecessary. When they argued, did the chores together or went searching for Zidane, the scars never came into the equation. What mattered to Ruby was that her Tantalus brothers were kind, decent people, (baring the thefts) and treated her right. Who cared what they looked like?

"Well, I ain't seein no monster," she said gently "All I see is a survivor."

She straightened the black haired wig which had begun to slip forwards and turned up his trousers which were a little too long.

"Yer wanna know whut else I think?" He shook his head wildly. "I think it's time yer owned those scars rather than letting 'em own you." She embraced him, he froze. "They're a part of who yer are, proof that yer alive!" Ruby let him go, studying the boy whose hazel eyes were wide and shining. "I know some folks are unkind, but that's only cus they ain't happy with themselves."

Blank was left speechless. He watched as she turned and pushed the boxes aside once more.

"No one can force yer to get on that stage, but it'd be mighty nice to see yer up there in the spotlight. Just think about it, okay?"

Alone again, his brain struggled to comprehend what had just happened. _Did she just hug me?_ He did feel better somehow and the knot in his gut had unravelled too. A small smile crept over his face, he even felt a little giddy.

Silently his nemesis waited in the corner. The red head was filled with a new determination. "Time to end this," he told himself before striding towards the mirror...

* * *

Three nights later and the Tantalus cast were waiting anxiously backstage. The hall was packed to the rafters and the rumble of eager theatre goers could be heard. This was the real deal, after rehearsing into the small hours of the morning and all the blood, sweat and tears it came down to this.

"Now remember, no matter what happens the show must go on-" Baku tried to address his crew but there was a great fuss coming from stage right. "Benero! Zenero! Get yer siblings to pipe down, I 'm tryin to give a rousing speech 'ere!"

"Sorry Boss, right away!" the brothers called back sheepishly.

"Just keep 'em quiet!" he snapped, turning back to the others. "You've all worked damn hard, so don't mess up! The Prima Vista is counting on us along with my wallet!"

Marcus chuckled. "No pressure then, eh Boss?"

"Oh, am so excited!" Ruby said with glee. "My big debut as Morgiana, I can't wait!"

"Bring it on!" Blank agreed with adrenaline pumping hard and fast through his veins.

Only Zidane remained quiet peeking behind the curtain. His face had been caked with some kind of weird paint so it felt very itchy. He squinted against the brightness but couldn't see any faces out in the black void, he didn't like it. _I don't want to do this anymore!_ He thought, backing away.

Suddenly he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Yer okay there, Zi?

"Blank!" The child jumped, he barely recognised his colleague anymore what with the black hair, blue eye shadow and red lipstick. "No, my tummy hurt bad, can we go home?"

His friend started to laugh. "It's too late for that, Little Bro." Zidane played with his plait and glanced back at the auditorium. "Don't freak out, everyone gets butterflies before they go on."

"Butterflies?" he asked looking suspiciously at his flat stomach.

Blank rolled his eyes. "It's a phrase, idiot! Yer know, like a break a leg? It don't mean _break_ yer leg, it means good luck for the performance!"

Clearing his dry throat Baku entered the spotlight to begin his introduction.

"I don't get it," Tribal said his face deadpan.

He sighed deeply. "Why don't that surprise me? Anyway, Ali Baba's waving, you're up!" Zidane gulped as Marcus dragged him away like a lamb to the slaughter. "Oh, and remember...break a leg!" Blank called after him with a sly grin.

As the curtain rose Zidane busied himself sweeping the floor just as he'd practised. Marcus paced up and down looking deep in thought until he stopped, pretending to notice the audience for the first time.

"Well, hello there, boys and girls! Come in, come in! Although I am but a lowly wood cutter you are most welcome! My name is Ali Baba and this is my beautiful wife, Ziba. Say hello, Ziba!"

"H...Hello, Ziba!" Zidane said with a polite curtsey. There was laughter from the crowd which was good, because Baku had told him it was meant to be funny. _Maybe this won't be so bad!_

Unfortunately there were some in the audience that wanted to make life hard for the newbie. "Hey Ali Baba, did you know you married a monkey?" There were titters coming from the back row.

"There's always gotta be some wise guy!" Ruby growled. "Oh gosh, poor little guy...Why don't he just shout summit back?"

Blank frowned. "He's never done a play before, so he can't improvise away from the script."

Monkey sounds soon began to fill the theatre as the bullies continued their cruel game. Zidane gripped the handle of his broom trying to stop the shakes overwhelming his small body. His tail grew limp and lifeless. Marcus was saying something to him but he couldn't hear properly. The noises seemed to grow louder as he froze to the spot unable to move. _This isn't supposed to happen!_ He kept thinking over and over.

"Oh my!" a high pitched voice shouted over the rabble, "If it isn't my poor, impoverished sister in law, Ziba!" Blank strolled onto the stage and then bumped his padded cleavage deliberately into Zidane. It was enough to make his friend fall off balance but Zi back flipped instinctly landing on his feet. The name calling from the hecklers was drowned out at once by the clapping of the children.

"Don't push me -" Tribal started to yell back before noticing that Blank was mouthing something. "Don't push me around," he repeated, "...Blanka!"

"Ooooooo, don't you use that tone with me! Have you forgotten that I am the gorgeous, rich, not to mention humble wife of the handsome, legendary Cassim?"

"She forgot to say blind!" Marcus said aside to the audience. "My brother isn't exactly a looker!"

Blank stuck out his chest. "What are you mumbling about?" he snapped.

"I said my brother has a nice cooker!" Ali Baba replied followed by a roar of laughter.

At this point Baku made his grand entrance wearing a cream turban and red thawb, a long tunic that went passed his ankles. "Blanka, my darling and delight!"

"Cassums, my grumpy, rumpy roo!" he cooed.

By this point Marcus was struggling not to crack up. In rehearsals Blank had never acted like this, it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. He forgot all about Zidane who was tugging on his waistcoat wondering what to do next.

"You may laugh," Bosu continued aware that they needed to move on. "But at least _we_ can feed and take care of our family! You are nothing but lowly peasants, whahahah!" Then he swept up and down the stage scowling and glaring at the spectators. The little boys and girls booed and hissed at Cassim as Ali Baba egged them on.

"Farewell, perhaps we will meet again, if you don't starve first! Whahahahah!" With that Baku held out his arm for Blank to take and the couple made a swift exit stage left.

Ali Baba and Ziba were able to finish their scene without further incident.

"Nice save!" Marcus clapped Blanka hard on the back as they came off.

Blank smirked and hoicked up his bra that had begun to slide down. "What else could I do?" he said. "Yer were dying out there, a _real_ professional had to step in!"

* * *

An hour later and Ruby took to the stage as Morgiana the slave girl for the finale. In a daydream of beautiful pink and jade silk scarves, she twirled and danced in wide circles. Her body flowed in perfect timing to the music even as the tempo increased. All the boys found themselves entranced, the elaborate dance lasting for several minutes, until at last she plunged a foam dagger into the heart of Zenero. Dramatically the villainous thief staggered around the stage, gasping in pain before he collapsed onto his back. A great cheer erupted from the crowd as Ali Baba thanked Morgiana for saving his life.

As the trumpets from the musicians sounded the entire Tantalus Troupe, (plus the Nero family) came to take a well deserved bow. Zidane had never felt more energised and excited. There was such a buzz having people chanting and wolf whistling at them, he couldn't explain it. The thunder of their appreciative applause was deafening and he didn't care, he wanted to hear more! They went off stage momentarily and returned for another round. Flowers were thrown for Ruby who quickly scooped them up and blew kisses. The hissing directed at Cassim, Blanka and Zenero was good natured as the audience continued to clap until their palms were sore.

All too soon the curtain closed and everyone breathed a great sigh of relief.

"Right, I've got a bottle of whisky with my name on it!" Baku laughed. "Anyone wanna join me?"

Ruby and Blank were more up for a game of Tetra Master than drinking but Marcus and Cinna looked very interested. Zenero and Benero had to decline stating that they needed to get their brothers and sisters back home to bed.

"What about you, Blondie?" Bosu asked.

However the monkey boy did not respond. He still had his hand held up to the heavy, crimson curtain and appeared upset. The voices from beyond were growing fainter and fainter as the theatre goers filed out. When he'd been cut off so suddenly from the happy, smiling faces it felt like his heart had been ripped out. _What is this pain?_ He thought forlornly.

Blank removed his wig and strolled up to Zidane. "Yer feelin bummed out, huh?" The child refused to look up. "When you've been eatin, sleepin and livin a show for a while it can't be helped. We call it the 'Post Show Blues.'"

His lower lip trembled. "Will it go away?"

"It might take time, but yeah...eventually." The red head nudged his friend's elbow. "The important thing is to keep busy. We can train a bit and go monster hunting tomorrow, if yer want?"

Zidane nodded. "I like that, thanks Blank."

"Whatever," he sang in reply. "Come on, let's head home. Cinna's gonna ask the Boss for a rematch at Tetra Master, and I could do with a laugh!"


	11. Trek to Treno, part one

**Chapter 11 – Trek to Treno, part one. **

**Spring, 1792, five years later...**

Cinna just couldn't understand how he'd managed to get into this mess. He loathed travelling, hated heights but beyond everything else he really detested birds. To find himself involved with all three seemed like a really bad joke the Boss kept insisting was funny. But despite the excuses and distraction tactics this nightmare situation had become a hardened reality, and for the blacksmith of Tantalus escape was denied.

He tried to ignore how each jerky movement threatened to hit the eject button in his stomach. It hadn't seemed so bad at first; Ms Burgundy's disarming smile had been _so_ reassuring. The chocobo trainer lived at the foot of the Aerbs mountain range that separated the western side of the Mist Continent from the east. She was unlike any woman he'd ever seen; skin a beautiful mahogany and dyed red dreadlocks with different coloured feathers entwined within them. Burgundy had captured Cinna's heart completely.

'I'm sure a big man like you can handle my little fire cracker, Scarlet.' she'd said. And like a complete fool he'd just grinned and nodded back. So what if he'd never ridden a chocobo before? Was he going to let the others tease him for the rest of his life? Or would he take action and prove to everyone that he did have some guts, even if it did come across as dumb recklessness.

Scarlet let out a loud 'wark' as he pounded his strong, taloned feet along the ground. He was the youngest chocobo of three other siblings, impatient to explore the world and run as fast as the wind. Scarlet's feathers like his namesake, were a bright red that demanded attention, but his fiery temperament left a lot to be desired. Cinna, completely unprepared, had no sooner mounted Scarlet then the young buck decided to bolt.

As sky, mountains, trees and grass whipped by, Cinna felt the skin across his cheek bones become taut and stretched. Scarlet appeared to be gaining more and more momentum by the second. "Whoa boy!" he yelled to no avail. Terrifying images of being thrown from his steed, scraping his brains down the mountain side as he careered to his death, made him pull sharply on the reigns. He pleaded with Scarlet to stop but the chocobo tossed his head dismissively, completely ignoring the human meant to be in charge. _Why didn't I pay more attention?_ He cursed himself. _At this rate we're gonna go over the edge!_

Pathetically he squeezed the thin leather cords which were supposed to help maintain control. He felt his tin hat being snatched away and promptly clamped down a shaking hand onto it. "Stupid bird!" he shrieked losing his last shred of composure. "I don't wanna die!"

Suddenly there was a distinctive yell behind him. "Hang on Cinna, I'm coming!"

As Cinna's body twisted around in the saddle he couldn't believe his eyes. A large female chocobo was galloping for all their worth trying to catch up, steam vented from her nostrils and two coal black eyes were locked onto the target. Its rider had an equally determined mindset it seemed. A familiar monkey tail swished back and forth fighting to maintain a steady balance.

"Zidane?" he gasped.

Tribal, who by now had managed to get alongside them, gave his Tantalus brother a cheery wave. _Trust him to make light of something like this!_ He thought bemused. _What the heck does he think he's doing?_ Cinna watchedas his friend bent over to whisper something in his chocobo's ear. The creature nodded its head in agreement before promptly smacking its entire body into the runaway. This received a sharp squawk in response from Scarlet who didn't appreciate the gesture one bit.

"Think you've got his attention now, Blush!" Zidane chuckled. "Do it again!"

Cinna didn't have time to brace himself for the next assault. He thought being stuck on a chocobo gallivanting over miles was the worst thing that could happen today, he'd been wrong. When Blush charged into his side it took on a whole new level of terror. Instead of being thrown at high speed he would simply be crushed by one of those confounded birds! As she swung by again Cinna wrapped his arms around Scarlet's neck and cried out. "What's wrong with yer?! You tryin rescue or kill me?"

Loud, evil laughter could be heard from the monkey tailed boy. _Whatever happened to that shy kid who wouldn't say boo to a goose?_ Cinna asked as he glanced over at Tribal, then he remembered that this 'kid' was eleven now. Zidane still had the palest skin and brightest smile that he'd ever seen. He loved to dive in and think about the consequences later. Of course he should have expected something as wacky as this from Zidane, it was his style.

When Blush began to nip at the younger male he gave an irritated squawk and drew away from her. What followed could only be described as a series of increasingly cranky 'kwehs' from Blush and snappy 'warks' from Scarlet. After nearly five minutes of this peculiar exchange she appeared to lose all patience and started pecking him. Immediately Cinna could sense the chocobo putting on the brakes. Frantic running slowed to a jog, then gently to a trot until at last Scarlet had stopped completely. He slithered out of the saddle and kissed the ground, thankful to still be in one piece.

"Oh," he panted, trying hard not to vomit. "I thought I was a goner for sure!" He turned to Zidane who unfortunately ignored Cinna and instead made a big fuss of his pink chocobo.

"You're a good mum, Blush!" he complimented the bird who clearly loved the attention. "Have a treat on me!" With that, Tribal held out a bunch of gysahl greens on his flat palm which she gobbled up within seconds. "Wow, you sure worked up an appetite, huh? Must be tiring keeping tabs on Scarlet!" Blush nuzzled her beak against Zidane's hand hopeful for more of the leafy, bitter vegetables. "Ah, sorry girl, that's all I had, honest!"

Seconds later Marcus turned up on another chocobo and came skidding to an abrupt halt. His companion was Ms Burgundy, who jumped down from the older male called Crimson and her thick, brown boots jingled as she walked towards Cinna.

"Are you okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

Cinna felt his cheeks grow warm and then grinned stupidly. "Oh am I fine, just a little-" And his face dropped as the trainer marched straight passed him.

"Oooo, you little rascal!" Ms Burgundy went over to Scarlet and gave him a clip round the ear. "Fancy taking off like that, you could have been seriously injured!"

 _Don't mind me..._ Cinna pouted. _I just nearly died!_

"You okay, Cin?" Marcus knelt down beside his friend. He noted the twisted scowl of embarrassment on the blacksmith's face. "Anything broken?"

Cinna sighed. "No, just my pride..." His eyes followed Ms Burgundy as she checked the condition of her precious chocobos. Her entire life revolved around breeding and training them, and he realised sadly that there would be no room for him. His shoulders slumped as he gave a feeble laugh. "Why do these things always happen to me?"

"Everyone has an off day," Marcus countered trying to make him feel better, but he knew it was useless. When Cinna decided to drop into self pitying mode he'd milk it for all its worth. "Hey Zidane, nice one!" he said changing the subject.

The blond scratched the back of his head. "Aww shucks, no big deal!" He came forward with a confident swagger. "So, how yer feelin, Cinna?"

"I'll live," the chef grumbled. He gave a loud groan as he forced himself to stand. No point hanging around in the dirt with a broken heart. Besides, if Baku didn't hear from them soon he'd have their hides. "We better get back to the others." As they turned to go Cinna suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. He caught up to the youngster before he mounted Blush again. Taking him by the arm he said, "You know you're crazy, right?" Zidane only shrugged his shoulders. "Anyways," he coughed awkwardly, "I owe yer one."

* * *

Back at the chocobo ranch Baku and Blank were making their last minute preparations for the journey to come. This was a simple escort job to make a tidy sum of gil towards their final payment for the Prima Vista. It had been a long, hard slog to save up the funds to buy the coveted airship; but the end was in sight, and all they had to do was make sure their client arrived in Treno in three days time.

Unfortunately their _client_ didn't exactly have the best track record with Tantalus...

"Boss, I don't understand why we 'ave to take him!" Blank hissed as he jerked the straps down tighter on the bulging sacks attached to his chocobo. "Why can't he take an airship like everyone else?"

Baku picked up the last bag and dumped it at his feet. "Yer really think I'd choose chocobos for travellin' if I had the choice?" He stretched, hearing the bones in his spine snap back into place with a satisfying crack. "South Gate is a no go," he explained, "the mechanism is busted again and knowing those idiots it'll take the best part of a week to fix it."

He took a dusty parchment from his waistcoat pocket and spread it out on the grass. Kneeling down Baku continued, "Okay, this 'ere is Lindblum," he said pointing to the castle in the bottom left hand corner. Then his index finger hovered over a shaded area on the map with the faint outline of a city. " _This_ is Treno, our destination. Usually we'd take an airship through South Gate but as yer know that ain't an option. So, what other way is there?"

Blank stared at the map which was discoloured and torn. The most direct route to Treno had a line of mountains blocking the way by foot. "Aerb Mountains," he murmured, "ah, that's why we're using the red chocobos."

"Aye, lad." Baku nodded sagely. "With mountain chocobos it'll be quicker but that don't mean safer! These mountains 'ave claimed more than a fair share of unwary travellers."

The red head studied the tall peaks which were to be home for the next few days. Sobering thoughts of mortal men that had copped it on the mountainside flew unwanted into his mind. _We'll be alright._ He reassured himself. _The Boss knows what he's doing and Brother is here too, no problem._

Blank glanced over at the young gentleman responsible for such a high risk venture. He wore a white shirt, navy blue waistcoat and gold cufflinks, hardly suitable attire for a gruelling journey! "Do yer think we can make it in three days?" he whispered to Baku.

Baku gave a loud belly laugh. "We'll make it - even if it kills us! Course, it'd help if that lazy bum hadn't run off!" He squinted his eyes in the direction that Cinna had disappeared and frowned.

"Is there any sign of your cook?" the client enquired. His voice was laced with irritation. "According to my calculations we should have set off over an hour ago."

"Keep yer knickers on!" Bosu snapped back. "They'll be 'ere soon enough, unless yer fancy gettin lost in the mist?"

The man cleared his throat. "Of course not that is why I hired you! But this is quite ridiculous! You do realise if I lose my place you'll be held personally responsible!"

"Yeah, yeah and like I said - _Fred_ , since no one else is willin to take yer, you'll just have to wait!" He glared in return and Blank sniggered behind a brown gloved hand.

Frederick Parcel was someone the red head hadn't seen in years. He'd grown tall and lanky like a bean sprout and desperately wanted to study in Treno at some 'lah de dah' university. The way he looked down his nose at thieves hadn't changed and despite needing money, Blank couldn't comprehend why Baku had agreed to this.

His Boss had warned him not to go looking for revenge against Parcel. It would be hard enough navigating the mountains and keeping a sharp eye out for monsters, than to waste energy bickering as well. _That's easy for him to say..._ Blank had thought. _He wasn't the one bed ridden for six months!_ He narrowed his eyes at the memory but Frederick had already retreated back to his chocobo. This would likely be the last time he'd see the snob in a while, as he began living the privileged life of comfort and security he'd been groomed for. "Whatever..." he muttered under his breath scanning the hills for signs of Zidane. _Where are yer, little bro?_

Then he blinked, there _was_ something coming towards them. Blank smiled when he spotted a head of distinctive blond hair. Tribal had returned with Cinna just as he promised. He smirked as Zidane trotted to a stop just beside him. The monkey tailed boy held out his hand with amusement dancing in his sea blue eyes. "Give it up," he said, "fair's fair."

Blank dug into his pocket and pulled out a silver coin with a hole in the middle, he shook his head before throwing it over. "Alright, don't be such a damn show off about it!" Zidane caught the gil without hesitation and gave it a chaste kiss. "Geez, that's the last time I make a bet with yer." But he knew in his gut that it probably wouldn't be! There was just something about the challenge in Zidane's voice that he couldn't ignore. When the blond had stated he could get Cinna back without falling off his chocobo, Blank couldn't resist taking a punt on him.

"Cinna, what the 'eck did yer think yer doin?" Baku demanded.

Instinctively the chef put his arms up in defence. "I'm sorry, Boss. Scarlet just kinda-"

"We've got a blinkin' schedule to keep, or did yer forget, eh?" the Tantalus leader shouted him down. "You've gotta keep control of that bird!"

Cinna gulped. "But I...I can't ride that crazy thing!" He closed his eyes almost in prayer. "Please Boss, just let me go home!"

It didn't take much to irritate Baku but pleading like this was like a red rag to a bull. "For the love of Gaia," he snarled, "I swear I'll swing for yer Cinna, if yer don't grow some balls!"

Sensing the impeding bloodbath Zidane bounced in. "I don't mind switching," he quickly offered. "Blush is a better chocobo for beginners anyway. It won't take two seconds to change things over, promise!" Baku turned around and considered the child who stood almost up to his waist. "Don't worry, I can handle Scarlet and the sooner we switch, the sooner we get goin!"

After what felt like an age Bosu finally stepped away from Cinna. "Make it quick," he growled and then stormed over to his own chocobo, a large red male by the name of Claret and hoisted himself up. "I'll be tryin to smooth things over with Burgundy. She might be changin' her mind about us borrowing 'em as we speak."

The three thieves breathed a collective sigh of relief when he was gone. Cinna rubbed hot sweat away from his face as Blank nudged Zidane. "Nice save," he said. His friend gave an impish grin in return. "We best hurry up though and get this sorted!"

Quickly they raced to swap over the packs, tying them securely onto their chocobos and double checking the weight ratio of cargo to rider. By the time Baku returned, still annoyed it had to be said, they were all smiles and ready to go. A total of six chocobos left the ranch that day, setting off on the misty mountain pass leading to the city of eternal night: Treno.

The Aerb Mountains were a long range of branching peaks that served to separate the three great kingdoms of Alexandria, Lindblum and Burmecia. The rock formations were very old, and their tall brown bodies dominated the Mist Continent landscape. In the winter, snow dusted their pinnacles like icing sugar on a cake which made them simply breathtaking. But for all their beauty and wonder the Aerb Mountains were extremely dangerous, the unpredictable weather could change in a heartbeat. The craggy surface could be slippery particularly after rainfall. Due to natural erosion from the elements there was also the danger of landslides which could sweep away the entire group in seconds. In some places the sun had miraculously managed to break through, baking the rock and causing it to become brittle, again another serious hazard for the unwary. In addition, not many lees existed in which to take shelter, which meant that Baku had to rely on maps and information gleaned from Ms Burgundy.

As they went on their way Scarlet did not make life easy for Zidane. He shook his head violently trying to throw the child off; he stamped his feet, jumped and bobbed. But Tribal was having none of it, and held on stubbornly. "Come on, I'm actually a nice guy! Can't we be friends?" he asked. Scarlet's response to this was to nip at his new rider, so Zidane dug his heels in sharply.

When he felt the creature wince between his thighs however he stopped. "I don't like doin that, but if you don't behave I will," the human said in a sharp tone. Scarlet huffed defiantly and ruffled his feathers. Tribal's head flopped forward with a disheartened sigh. "This is going to be a _long_ journey." He tried stroking the collection of tiny tufted feathers at the back of Scarlet's head. At first the chocobo flinched at the touch but quickly pretended to ignore it. "No matter what you do, I'm not goin' anywhere," he promised. "So yer better get used to it."

Meanwhile Blank tried ignoring the fact that he could no longer feel his backside anymore. Riding adult chocobos could be very uncomfortable for thieves of a smaller stature; his body was drowning in a feathery nest, and he had to sit rigidly straight and tall just so he could see properly. After nearly three hours of this his back started to scream in agony and he became desperate to distract himself. He turned to the person riding alongside him, who turned out to be Parcel. To his great annoyance Frederick appeared to be enjoying the experience. He sat easily in the saddle atop a pink chocobo called Rose.

"Oh dear," he commented to Blank. "You look quite haggard and it's only been a few hours. Are you sure you have the stamina to survive an entire mountain trek?"

The thief put one hand across his heart and said, "Geez Parcel, didn't know you cared! You gonna propose to me?"

"Tsk, you haven't changed." The noble's son ran a hand through his short black hair. "If we are to be travelling companions it is natural to enquire about the state of your health. I do not want _you_ to slow _me_ down."

Blank scoffed. "Yer don't have to worry about me, and we ain't travelling _companions_ either," he corrected. "I'm gettin' paid to do a job – nothin' more, nothin' less. Don't get soft ideas that we're pals, Parcel."

"What an absurd notion!" Frederick hissed in disgust. Evidently having heard enough he tugged on the reigns and fell back behind Marcus. There would be no further communication between the pair for the rest of the day.

Before dusk, the travellers came to large outcrop in the rock which they followed through until they found a small cave. It would be a bit of squeeze but all members of the party and their steeds went inside. The chocobos huddled together in a corner devouring their ration of gysahl greens and carrots. Whilst around a small fire the Tantalus brothers and their client rested. It didn't seem possible to feel so tired after riding a chocobo all day, but everyone's muscles felt sore and ached. Within an hour of settling down a heavy rain fell drumming on the roof of the cave. It sent a shiver through them all as they rubbed their hands together and dreamt of warmer places to be.

Cinna provided some distraction as he began chopping vegetables and slicing salted meat ready to put into the bubbling pot. After a time he added some herbs too and put the lid back on to allow the broth to simmer. "Won't be long now," he assured the hungry group. "It'll be worth the wait!"

"Better be," Baku grumbled as he took another look at the map.

It was left to Zidane to try and make conversation, unfortunately Parcel had been avoiding him, casting his eyes down whenever he said hello. But silence and awkwardness were two things that the young blond disliked intensely. "So, how are the others doing in Lindblum?" he began.

Frederick appeared puzzled. "Sorry, the others? By whom do you refer to?"

"Ya know, erm...Vicky? Sam I think was another one and that weird guy with the specs that used to pull my tail?" He said this with genuine interest and no hint of anger.

"Oh, I see." Parcel nodded. "Well, Sam is an apprentice working in his father's firm to become the next business manager. Mr Cohen is a specialist in trading goods particularly silk, spices and pottery, it's quite the opportunity. Miss Sullivan is very well." A small smile appeared as he said her name. "She wishes to become a writer."

Zidane grinned. "Is she any good?"

"She is working on several projects and surrounds herself with nothing but books, parchment and ink - it is a strange sight to say the least. Her children's novels are both humorous and imaginative but Victoria has her heart set on changing society. Currently she is researching about the gap between the rich and poor in the city."

"Isn't that a bit controversial?" Marcus said. "Not everyone will like that."

"No, they don't. Victoria has already received death threats and been told to stop." This surprised the Tantalus brothers and they looked at each other. "But she is stronger than that and determined to continue regardless. Her goal is to persuade Regent Cid to change labour laws in industry. Did you know some men and women are working over fifteen hours each day?"

Parcel continued to share Victoria's findings so far and spoke passionately about the subject. Marcus questioned whether Mr Cohen and Victoria were on opposite sides, but Frederick was adamant that Sam also wanted reform and to make things better. Cinna served the hearty soup which as promised tasted divine on such a miserable evening.

"I hope you will not consider me to be rude, but how is the young lady of your establishment faring? Alas her name escapes me," Frederick admitted. "Perhaps it was Rachel...Rebecca or perhaps Ruth?"

"It's Ruby." Blank cut in sharply. "And she's doin' fine." He readjusted the wide leather belt that he wore around his head, which concealed his eyes and gave him an air of mystery.

Parcel seized the information. "Ah, Miss Ruby of course! It was most unfortunate regarding the loss of her father. Please pass on my sincere condolences, won't you?" He blew delicately on a spoonful of soup before supping it without a single sound. "And what of her current employment?"

"That ain't none of yer damn-"

But Blank found himself interrupted by Zidane. "She plays the female leads in our Theatre Troupe. She's really good! I can't think of anyone that can sing and dance as well as Ruby can. She's gonna become a famous actress one day and everyone will want her autograph, and then she can marry a rich guy and eat as much ice cream as she wants!"

Parcel blinked for a moment taking it all in. "That is also... a fine ambition," he said generously. "Perhaps I should see Miss Ruby's talents for myself one day. Do you have another play in mind?" The blond shook his head. "Might I suggest, I Want to Be Your Canary by Lord Avon? It is a tragic romance between a noble and a peasant, quite entertaining so I've heard."

Without realising it Blank's hand had balled into a fist. The thought of Frederick being anywhere near Ruby upset him, although he couldn't explain why. "Am assuming by tragedy things don't turn out well?"

"Actually, in the end both the noble and peasant are killed."

"Such a happy story," Blank said his voice dripping with sarcasm. "For an educated guy you've got really dull taste!"

If looks could kill, the one from Frederick would have been enough to slaughter the entire population of Lindblum. "I Want to Be Your Canary is a treasured classic! And it is precisely because the two lovers cannot be together that strikes an emotional chord with the audience. Not all people are as intellectually challenged as you are!"

"What did yer say, pretty boy?" The red head stood up abruptly but felt a hard tug on the back of his shirt pulling him down. "Wha?"

Marcus frowned. "Cut it out. If the Boss hears you talkin like that you'll get a thick lip! Do you wanna make him mad?" Blank crossed his arms and glared, but did not say anymore. "So, what about the kid with the glasses? You ain't mentioned him."

The young man's face visibly darkened at the question. "Yes, Oliver Brooks," he said almost in a whisper. His enthusiasm when talking about his other friends had been clear to see but now he began to fidget with his hands. "Ollie isn't well I'm afraid, he's suffering from consumption." When the noble saw the blank looks of his listeners he went onto explain. "It is a disease that attacks the lungs causing a high fever, weight loss and the victim to cough up blood. The doctors say he'll be dead within the month." He licked his dry lips. "So that is that - as they say." His golden eyes glistened in the firelight betraying the sadness that his words tried to conceal.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Marcus replied, "must be tough." Parcel's only acknowledgement was to nod. After that the atmosphere turned rather sombre as each person considered their own mortality.

Suddenly Baku clapped his hands. "Alright boys, time to hit the hay! Remember tomorrow mornin' to put more layers on otherwise you'll be freezing yer arse off, gwahahaha!"

As the travellers snuggled down into their sleeping bags and drifted off to sleep, Zidane was left alone with his thoughts. He'd been moved to learn about Oliver's illness and wondered why they didn't try to save him. What was death anyway? Why did people die? Tribal struggled with such ideas and it didn't help that his friends avoided the subject like the plague.

He remembered Mr Clatterbridge telling Ruby that her father had died, and she'd shut herself away. That week had been so confusing; they'd gone to the local church which they never usually did, and wore smart new clothes that made his skin itch. Baku told him it was a funeral service and he'd witnessed a large wooden box being blessed by some priest. Afterwards they'd gone to Lindblum Cemetery and the box had been placed into a massive hole. He recalled delicate white roses being thrown down and then smothered with dark brown soil. Everyone had acted so weird – there'd been no laughing or talking, such stern, pale faces. By the end of the day Zidane had been thankful to go back to the clocktower and forget all about it.

Zidane visited the priest a year later and asked when Ruby's father would come back. The holy man had looked kindly at him and spoke of heaven, a peaceful place where souls return to, however he still didn't understand. If a person lost their life surely they could find it again? But the priest had shaken his head sadly. 'I'm sorry, my son," he'd explained. "The man you speak of is no longer of this world, for when a person dies they cannot return.' Such an answer had frightened the monkey tailed boy so badly that to this day he refused to go anywhere near a churchyard.

 _I wonder if death hurts._ He considered. _It doesn't sound very nice and it makes people sad..._ After nearly an hour of tossing and turning he gave up and went to check on Scarlet. Surprisingly he found the chocobo to still be wide awake.

"Can't sleep either?" he said softly. Scarlet narrowed his eyes at Zidane as he sat down. "I bet Ms Burgundy is missing yer. She's a good master, isn't she? Takin' care of all your family, it's important to do stuff like that, ya know?" He leaned his head against Scarlet's body, hearing a strong heartbeat and stroked the feathers absently. "Don't know what I'd do if I lost my family, I don't like being alone."

Scarlet could hear the small human muttering on about something. He was an odd one, not put off at all by the unfriendly squawks and pecking. The chocobo had never had a problem getting rid of unwanted riders before. But the more Scarlet retaliated against Tribal the more tightly he would cling, it didn't make sense. The bird noted how the boy's breathing had changed and glanced down. He scowled at Zidane who had fallen asleep against his side. The chocobo felt tempted to give the human a quick nip behind the ear, but as he reached over Scarlet froze. He studied the sleeping form, listened to the quiet, steady breaths that strangely made him feel calm. In that moment his desire to cause pain disappeared. Instead, Scarlet slowly lay his head down. _Stupid human..._ He thought before sleep claimed him.

* * *

 **Author's note** _-_

I've been surrounded a lot by death this year so this chapter is in remembrance of them. x


	12. Trek to Treno, part two

**Trek to Treno Part Two **

In the morning Zidane lifted his sleepy head and yawned. _That was a really good nap_! He thought still feeling so warm wrapped up in the comfortable blanket. He turned to grasp the material to pull it further over his shoulders, but found a fistful of red feathers instead. He blinked and then realised that he was also leaning against Scarlet's body. The chocobo's staggered snore was music to his ears, despite the loud rumbling sound it made. Without realising, the stubborn bird had wrapped his long neck around Zidane encircling him completely. The monkey tailed boy tried to keep his excitement in check so as not to ruin the moment. _Finally, I think we're getting somewhere!_ He giggled and stroked Scarlet affectionately.

This caused Scarlet to wake and crane his neck trying to discover the source of disruption to his pleasant dreams. "Morning!" Zidane greeted him brightly. "Did yer sleep well?" The chocobo cocked his head and sniffed suspiciously. Tribal tickled Scarlet under the chin and laughed. "Guess a little heart to heart works wond – hey!" he yelped suddenly, as the chocobo tried to snap its beak shut over his fingers. Zidane snatched his hand out of harm's way but the crazed bird continued to nip at him. "Just – take – it – easy!" he exclaimed, his fingers dancing around to avoid being bitten.

Scarlet's nostril's flared with anger. "Yer not a morning person, huh?" Tribal joked. He stepped away from the chocobo, counting his fingers and thumbs to check they were intact. "Geez, yer don't have to get so upset!" He sighed, and tried to pat Scarlet reassuringly on the head. Unfortunately this caused the bird to give a roaring 'wark' which echoed around the small cave. Scarlet stamped his feet and prepared to make a dash for freedom. "No, you don't!" Zidane yelled as he grabbed onto one of Scarlet's thick legs. He hooked his monkey tail around the limb just to make sure. This didn't deter the would - be escape artist, and together the pair took off, smashing the dead firewood apart as they charged out of the cave entrance.

Disgruntled shouts and yells from his companions died away, as Zidane found himself being dragged along the floor. It had snowed during the night and didn't the underside of his belly know it. The icy touch made him gasp and his bare skin screamed as if being stabbed by steel blades. _Owie! Owie!_ _Owie!_ The boy scrunched up his face against the stinging sensation. He slid a good 300 yards by the time he came up with a plan, and so looping his monkey tail around both of Scarlet's legs, he pulled hard. Like a tree being felled the chocobo toppled over fantastically onto the snowy ground. There was a resounding thud as they went over and a cloud of powdered snow shot up into the air. With a moan Zidane crawled onto his knees, and heard his warm, jagged breaths intruding on the cold soundless landscape.

Scarlet gave a faint whine but the little boy had no sympathy. "Don't start!" he groaned, dusting off loose snow from his head. "I'm not the one who ran off! Brrrr! It's cold! _So_ cold!" Zidane rubbed his arms as he stood and took in the misty view. In the early morning light, thin beams of the sun tried to fight through thickened cloud. On this part of the mountainside the snow was a good three inches deep, and Zidane's foot disappeared as he took a step forward. There were icicles hanging from ledges, and the few brave trees that had taken root here bowed low under the weight of their heavy white burdens. Had it not been for his discomfort, the boy might have appreciated the pure unspoilt beauty. As it was his stomach clenched painfully reminding him about missing breakfast, and that he couldn't put off his sorry trudge back to the cave any longer.

By this point Scarlet had recovered and ruffled his feathers in the cold air. Moodily Zidane stumbled over and yanked his reins in the right direction. For once the chocobo didn't argue, sensing his rebellious actions had already earned him a few sharp heel digs in the side. "Yer gonna learn that humans are more stubborn than chocobos when they wanna be." He turned and stared directly into those big black eyes. "I _ain't_ givin' up, so quit bein' such a jackass!"

Zidane took a calming breath and prepared to move on. _The others are never gonna let me live this down!_ He thought before something soft and wet hit him full in the face. He stumbled back in shock. _What the hell?_ Slowly he smeared away the remains of a dripping snowball and found Blank keeling over with laugher. "Hey!" It didn't take long for Tribal to return the favour. "Thanks for kickin' a guy when he's down!" he shouted back, gleefully scooping up another handful of snow.

"Welcome!" Blank replied with an evil gleam in his eye. Dressed in fur trimmed boots, a thick red shawl, scarf, gloves and a hat he was more than ready to face the elements. He dodged another of Zidane's feeble throws with ease. "So, yer still in one piece?"

"Like... yer... care!" The blond thief's teeth chattered and the stinging in his arms had become unbearable. "Apart... from... _freezing_ to death? Ye...Yeah, I'm fine!" He watched suspiciously as Blank came towards him with his hands in the air. Over his shoulder was a woollen blanket which he held out with a smug grin. Zidane couldn't snatch it away fast enough. "Oh mmman, yer a life saver!"

"Yeah, yeah, why am I helping you, again?" Blank shook his head. "Seriously, getting hypothermia on the second day? That ain't smart, Zi!" The other boy gave him a withering look as he shivered under the blanket. "This Scarlet," he considered with a steely glare, "is more trouble than he's worth. Howz about switching with me today?"

But Zidane wouldn't hear of it. "No way, Scarlet's sticking with me. I'm gonna win him over no matter what!"

"Even if it kills yer?"

He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. _I'm hoping it doesn't come to that!_ Zidane knew Blank was just looking out for him but he felt responsible for the bird now. Allowing someone else to ride Scarlet just didn't seem right. He'd made a little progress, hadn't he? Even if this morning had been a complete disaster, he couldn't just dump the problem on someone else. "Look, am not a kid anymore. There are some things you've gotta do on yer own!"

Blank huffed. "Whatever, I'm not yer blinkin' keeper!" He turned around and started back the way he'd come. Zidane stood still, worried no doubt that he'd hurt his feelings in some stupid way. The thought bothered Blank far more than it should do. His Little Brother had grown up a little in some ways. You could see it in the way he walked and talked - how he interacted with people. His confidence knew no bounds; he was clever and fast, already catching the eye of many pretty ladies at the Twin Moons. Not that he understood anything about _that_ but he had everything going for him. But his one weakness drove Blank beyond mad, it wouldn't make any profit for a thief. In the future it would probably cause him endless trouble and strife. What was this inappropriate quality? In a word – kindness, Zidane's heart beat for lost causes, underdogs and misfits. He made friends with anyone: the shy and timid, the angry and lonely, upper class, lower class, girls, boys, hippos, rats and now it seemed... chocobos.

Jealousy had never been an emotion that Blank dealt with very well. He tried to stop himself because he knew Zidane loved him like family. They were brothers, and he deserved better. It was just sometimes he found it so hard, how could he compete with someone like that? When the monkey tailed boy stepped into the room you couldn't help but be drawn to him. Like the sun, he was bright and warm whilst in comparison Blank stayed hidden in the shadows. He hated this seed of envy growing inside of him, it made him feel toxic inside.

"Hey, Blank!" a familiar voice cut through his troubled musings. He rolled his eyes and looked back.

"What?" he shouted. "Oh shi-" But it was too late. A round white sphere exploded on his forehead. He blinked a few times feeling the melting snow slide down his nose and cheeks. _I should have learnt by now..._

Zidane cheered and with gusto punched his fist into the air. "Got yer!"

"Little brat!" But there was no heat to the insult and Blank even smiled.

* * *

Upon return to the cave, the boys found the others still getting changed inside their sleeping bags. Cinna had miraculously resurrected the fire that had been smashed from before, and soon bacon and eggs sizzled in the pan. After Baku had chewed Zidane out for being careless he explained about the next part of the trek. First they would reach the mountain summit. Then they'd scramble down the other side and keep going until they found a lee known as 'Hermit's Haven' to stop for the night.

"Why's it called that?" Blank asked attempting not to be distracted by Zidane, who was currently hopping around trying to put on another layer of trousers.

Baku waggled his eyebrows. "Wouldn't yer like to know, hmm?" The red head shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't care either way. "Yer could _pretend_ to be a little excited!" Bosu complained with a pout. Blank sighed but came slightly closer trying to show willing. "Alright, a long time ago before Lindblum had even become a city, the villagers often saw dragons in the mountains. They believed the dragons had built a nest there and wouldn't go anywhere near 'em. One day a local lad, Petri decided to take a hike over the mountain and see a dragon for himself."

"This Petri guy don't sound too smart!"

Baku gave him a sharp look but continued, "Anyway, when he went up the mountain he got lost in the mist and found the dragon he'd been looking for. Well, course he thought his days were numbered, since he wasn't exactly a fighter!" He chuckled softly.

"So what happened, did he get scorched to death?" Blank slouched down nearer to the fire.

The Boss shook his head. "According to legend some moogle stepped in and persuaded the dragon to be on its way."

"A moogle?" This made the redhead sit up and take notice. "Like one of those fluffy white teddy things with a red pom pom on its head? How could _that_ see off a Grand Dragon?"

"Look 'ere, whose telling this story, you or me?" Baku growled.

By now Zidane had finished changing into more suitable attire and joined Blank. The older boy drew his knees up to his chest and sighed again. "You're the boss, Boss."

"Right, after that, he took the frightened lad back to his 'ome. He told Petri that Grand Dragons don't take kindly to humans bein' on their territory, and that in the mornin' he would get him down again. When Petri asked why the dragon hadn't attacked, the hermit said they'd been very lucky. 'Dragons are dangerous, fickle creatures,' he warned him and Petri could hear sadness carved into those words. The next day, true to his promise the moogle led Petri down the mountain path and was never seen again. Hermit's Haven is meant to be the place where the moogle lived, so the legend says."

Zidane thought for a moment about the tale. "Hey Boss, do Grand Dragons live in _these_ mountains?" he said very carefully.

Baku burst out laughing. "Nah, they moved on when Lindblum started with all its technology stuff. Dragons ain't fond of noise, and with airships buzzin' round and humans drillin' gates through the mountain, I'm not surprised they scarpered!" He took a gulp of hot coffee. "The only place to see Grand Dragons nowadays is Popos Heights near Gizamaluke's Grotto, and thank Gaia we ain't nowhere near that!"

After breakfast, the group mounted and continued their journey over the Aerb Mountains. Tribal hummed cheerfully to himself as they went along. He loved being able to leave the city once in a while and explore the world, there was still so much he wanted to know. Baku often spoke of places that he'd visited in his 'younger' days and they sounded fascinating. He'd heard of a settlement called Clerya, which was built in the branches of a gigantic tree and surrounded by a constant sandstorm. The kingdom of Alexandria, famous for many things not least the Royal Family: Queen Brahne Raza Alexandros XVI to give the monarch her full title. The Queen's army were said to be made entirely of women, although there existed some men who were in charge of protecting the city known as the Knights of Pluto. Burmecia, Realm of Eternal Rain the only high walled city to be found actually below the mist. The Burmecians were said to train to become dragon knights that fought with spears and lances. A king ruled this city where the streets shone like silver in the never ending rain.

 _What I wouldn't give to see them all!_ Zidane thought with longing. They were so close to owning the Prima Vista, and once Tantalus had her there would be no stopping them. No more scrapping around trying to find a venue to perform in, the _ship_ would be their mobile theatre home. They could go anywhere they wanted and everyone would marvel at the Tantalus Theatre Troupe. Just thinking about the prospect made him want to finish this job as quickly as possible. But with his head up in the clouds he'd quite forgotten about Scarlet who bobbed suddenly to leap over a craggy gap. "Whoa!" Tribal exclaimed, shifting around in his saddle, "forgot I was riding yer there for a minute!" The chocobo snorted through his nostrils and bobbed again using his powerful legs to clamber up the rock face.

By noon they reached the mountain peak and the sun finally won its battle against the mist. Up here, the group bathed their bodies in the pleasant golden rays. All the aches and stiffness from their joints melted away, it had been worth the effort to get to this point.

"Oh wow, that feels good!" Cinna said taking the opportunity to stretch his arms. "I was beginning to forget what the sun felt like!"

Baku shielded his eyes from the bright light but there wasn't much in the way of a view. They were an island surrounded by a sea of thick, rolling clouds obscuring the land below. "Make the most of it boys it's downhill from 'ere! Keep yer wits about, cuz things are gonna get a lot more tricky."

Not for the first time Baku's prediction had been spot on. Zidane heard his friends sneezing and coughing somewhere in the mist before him. The chilly fog steadily grew thicker until it smothered every direction, so it looked as if they were swimming in a white, cloudy soup. He wasn't fazed by this, after all Ms Burgandy had warned them in advance this would happen. Zidane remembered in particular that chocobos had a very keen sense of smell and considered these mountains their home. Their talons were designed to grip the slippery rock with ease, and since the whole family of chocobos were tied end to end they wouldn't lose anybody by accident.

His body continued to shiver even though they were climbing down rather than up. Now he understood perfectly why Baku had insisted that they wear lots of layers. A biting wind hounded the group, pushing them this way and that. The wind chill factor was more severe on this side of the mountain, so Zidane snuggled closer to Scarlet's fluffy feathers trying to use him as a wind break. Surprisingly the young chocobo didn't protest, even _he_ felt too cold to care anymore.

They ate on the move for the rest of the day as no shelter could be found for them. But a meal of tough, salty meat and dry bread didn't exactly help to settle an uneasy stomach. Such food compared to the bacon and eggs from the morning held no competition. Whenever they were lucky enough to find a decent ledge, Baku made sure they fed and watered the chocobos. But the skies were growing increasingly dark even though it was in the middle of the afternoon. It was as if the shadows had taken on a life of their own, growing and stretching out in front of them. Zidane didn't like the way they were sinking into a darkening world and glanced back towards the mountain summit wondering why the sunlight had abandoned him.

"Why's it getting dark all of a sudden?" he called out to Blank but it was Marcus who answered.

"Treno's known as the dark city for a reason. On this side of the mountain it's always night."

"Always night?!" Zidane repeated in disbelief. "I'd hate to live there full time! How would yer know when to sleep and when to wake up? Everythin' would be mixed up, right?"

Marcus could just picture the confusion on his friend's face. "From what I've seen the nobles don't seem to mind. I mean, to them Treno is practically a playground anyway!"

"Why? What do they do there?"

"Well...There's the auction house that has some pretty rare items, but they ain't cheap. I've played in the card stadium a few times for the Tetra Tournament. The players there have a half decent stack of cards and are actually a challenge!" He heard an indignant cough from Cinna and smirked. "Oh yeah, the weapon shop has a small battle arena so yer can fight monsters for fun."

Zidane's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What? The rich geezers pay to fight monsters for kicks?"

"Erm, not exactly, it's more entertainment for the bounty hunters so they can win a few gil. This city is kind of a weird mix, yer got folks with money living the high life, those on the run from the law, and others that ain't got nothing."

Throughout this exchange Frederick remained silent. He didn't agree with everything Marcus said but a lot of it was true. The rich lived in grand houses overlooking the waterfront with its twinkling lights and marble fountains. In contrast, the poor found shelter in the slums and tried to survive as best they could. He remembered visiting with his father years ago, and how they'd walked passed beggars on the street as if they didn't exist. Mr Parcel had told his son not to stare. 'They are beneath you,' he'd said simply. 'They are not worthy of your time.' Somehow such memories did not sit comfortably with the young man. _But I am different now._ He reasoned with himself. _I shall perceive things clearly when I reach the university. I will not become like my father!_

* * *

It was getting late by the time they reached the rock formation known as Hermit's Haven. The lee essentially was a natural wall carved into the mountain over years of weather erosion. It blocked off most of the wind but unfortunately a chilly draft slipped through the cracks, which meant it was nowhere near as comfortable as the cave from the night before. Parcel had expected some sort of log cabin which the thieves found highly amusing. Nevertheless the travellers made do and were just glad for anywhere to lay their weary heads. The lack of light made it difficult to gauge how much time had passed, and so Blank often glanced at his pocket watch underneath the glow of a burning lantern. The men huddled around the small stove as Cinna fought to keep the flames alive long enough to heat up some soup. After that the senior members of the group kept a watch for monsters whilst Zidane and Frederick stayed in the warmest corner and rested for a while. As always, Blank leaned casually against the wall as though in deep contemplation.

After nearly ten minutes of stony silence between Blank and Parcel, Zidane wanted to bang their heads together. _Trying to pretend the other guy isn't here is just dumb!_ His only comfort for the time being was the knowledge that it wouldn't be like this forever. Soon Frederick would be in Treno and life would go as normal for Tantalus. But still, playing piggy in the middle between these two was not fun. "Come on guys, it's gonna be real boring if we just sit here!"

"I ain't got nothin' to say to that snob," Blank muttered.

Tribal could feel the tension in Frederick's body next to him. He took the hint and placed both arms behind his head trying to get more comfortable. They listened to the wind soughing and whistling beyond the wall. Having never been the type to stop and consider the wind's song Zidane closed his eyes and tried to tune in to the subtle shifts in pitch and tone. Sometimes the wind howled, it could lash against the rock face or ruffle the grains of dust near his feet. He imagined the wind to have a large bearded face and a gaping mouth, dancing through the clouds making them shift across the sky.

A sudden burst of inspiration came to him. _I know what we can do!_ He sat up quickly and reached over to his knapsack. "Hey Blank, howz about a game?"

"No." Blank snapped. The red head wanted no interaction with Frederick at all, and that included playing Tetra Master.

Zidane stuck his tongue out. "Fine, suit yerself! Hey Frederick, wanna play?"

Surprised, Parcel twisted around to face the blond boy. "I'm afraid I've never had the pleasure, Mr Tribal," he admitted. A mocking huff came from the hunched figure near the wall. He ignored it and instead focused on Zidane. "Would you kindly explain the rules?"

"Only if yer _never_ call me mister again," he said cringing. "It's Zidane, okay?"

Parcel found this to be an odd request but agreed. "As you wish, Zidane it is then."

Tribal took his modest collection of cards and shared them equally between them. He then tried his best to explain the basics. Tetra Master was a deceptively simple card game that the inhabitants of Gaia took rather seriously. For some it was more than just a pastime it was an obsession. The cards themselves depicted monsters, buildings, ships, people and even weapons. Generally each card held at least one arrow in the corners or at the sides, and these arrows had a number attached to it. The numbers (sometimes letters) represented the attack or defence of a card.

"Yer can only attack cards next to you," he explained, "and if the card has no arrows I can take that over straight away, see?" Parcel's blue card immediately turned orange. "Your Goblin card is mine now unless yer attack one my cards to win it back."

Frederick considered his cards and decided to choose a Sand Scorpion with an attack of four. He placed it on the grid and watched as it fought a battle with Zidane's Skeleton. When both the skeleton and the Gobin card turned blue in his favour Parcel appeared confused.

"Nice one, yer made a chain!"

"I made a what?" he said, glancing back at the grid and then to his teacher for further clarification.

It didn't bother the child one bit. "Yer beat my Skeleton card cuz it only had a defence of three, and then after the last battle my Goblin's defence had gone down to two as well." He pointed to the numbers on the cards. "So yer made a chain and took two cards in one turn!"

"Ah, I see! Your actions from previous moves determine what could happen in the rest of the game. You have to adapt your cards depending upon the changing variables." Zidane's forehead furrowed slightly and Parcel laughed at him. "It's quite all right, I'm beginning to understand."

They continued the game with Zidane as victor in the first and second round. By the third round however Frederick had caught up and started making more strategic choices, they ended up in a draw. He seemed to enjoy the game and wanted to play more. "So how come yer never played before?" Tribal asked as he shuffled the cards.

"I've been taught that drinking, gambling, spending time alone with women and so on, are considered taboo. Such pursuits are inappropriate for a young gentleman apparently."

"Oh, yer don't have to play anymore if it'll get yer into trouble!"

Frederick smiled at him. "I appreciate your concern, but it doesn't matter to me anymore. I've become a different person, Zidane. My studies are proof that I am breaking away from the natural order of the Parcel family name."

Despite insisting that he wasn't interested, Blank found his ears betraying him and listening to the conversation. _My studies are proof?_ He wasn't convinced. _What's he talking about? Stupid toff!_ He tried to concentrate on something else, the small spider crawling over his boot for example but curiosity soon got the better of him. "So, what yer studying anyway?" he asked in a bored tone. "Aren't yer training to take over from daddy when he pops his clogs?"

"Actually, I am no longer my father's heir." Parcel corrected him. "That honour now belongs to my younger brother, Francis. It appears I am no longer worthy to hold such a title."

Of all the karma he could have received this was like winning the lottery. Yet, such a victory felt hollow and empty to Blank. There was no joy to be found in Frederick's misfortune. Yes, Parcel had messed him up pretty bad but to lose everything? He snatched a glance at the sixteen year old who unbeknown to him was also sneaking a look as well. The boys' eyes met and then, because neither wanted to lose face they sharply turned away again.

Another round of Tetra Master followed and this time Frederick won. "Good job!" Zidane praised him. "You'll be a master in no time!"

Parcel raised an eyebrow. "A little soon to be saying that, don't you think? But I appreciate the vote of confidence." He glanced at his right hand and in particular the middle finger, with the tooth shaped scars etched into it. A smirk came to his lips. How could this be the same monkey tailed boy from so long ago? He'd been a nameless savage, a vicious creature with barely any speech. Now Zidane shamed him with his friendly nature and forgiving ways.

"So when yer go to lunaversitty-"

"University, the word you are searching for is _university_." He had to fight the bubbling giggle in his throat but managed to retain his composure. "What will I do there?" he suggested. The thief smiled and nodded. "My studies will involve medicine. I am to become a doctor-"

Blank started to cough as though something had gone down the wrong hole. "Yer gotta be kidding me, a quack?!"

Parcel's cheeks turned slightly pink as the red head continued to gawp at him in shock. "Well, you don't have to stare at me so!" he snapped. "It is a respectable profession!"

Zidane cheered and clapped him on the back. "I think that's great!"

"Wait...You...You do?" Frederick blinked for a few seconds registering Tribal's positive encouragement. "But I tried to cut your tail off!"

"Oh, water under the bridge and all that!" he replied easily. "Lindblum needs more doctors to help sick people, right?"

"He just wants to cure those that can afford it." Blank said. "Must be nice getting paid for treatin' the odd cold!" He wanted to see Parcel's face twist up in hatred, to say something equally vile but he did neither.

Frederick stared at the floor considering what to say next. "I understand why you would think that." He exhaled deeply a few times then continued. "To be honest, a day hasn't gone by when I haven't thought about what I did to you." He forced himself to look at Blank. "I should thank you, truly. It's because of you that I watched Doctor Sullivan at work. I've reflected on my actions and made a decision."

"What kinda decision?" Zidane said as he shuffled the cards again.

"I want to use my hands to heal, not to hurt others." He stood and glared at Blank who had scoffed at the statement. "Yes, I admit, it may seem laughable to you, but I want to do some good in this world."

The red head met his stare confidently. "Be honest for once, Parcel. Yer just wanna make money, right?"

Such a comment did not go down well and Frederick marched over to Blank. "No, that is not _right_ in the least!" he exclaimed. "I vow to open a clinic right in the heart of the Theatre District and treat _real_ patients that need help. I swear it on my life!" The intensity of this man made Blank frown. He tried to squash the memories from back then but they came flooding back like a tidal wave. Being hauled up by his shirt and beaten within an inch of his life, things like that didn't just leave you. He could feel Parcel's breath on his cheek, and those annoying eyes, the same golden eyes that held such contempt on that day.

"Back off! Or I'll have yer!" He shook an angry fist in Frederick's face. "Just try it, pretty boy!"

"Blank, give it a rest!" Zidane sounded frustrated and fed up. "Can't yer let bygones be bygones?"

After paying Doctor Sullivan's fee it had left him out of pocket for months. Frederick Parcel decided a long time ago what he was going to do when he saw Blank the street rat again. He'd waited and waited for an opportunity but their paths never crossed. It was only on the eve of leaving Lindblum, and realising that his only option was _them,_ that Frederick had the chance to make things right.

He took a step back from the thief pinned against the wall. "I do not wish to fight," he said calmly. "But if you need to 'get it out of your system', I will not stop you." He folded his hands behind his back. "Feel free to take your revenge as you see fit."

"What the 'ell?" Blank snarled. He didn't like this sudden change in his nemesis. _What does he think he's doing? I'm not gonna to hit a man that doesn't fight back!_ This wasn't what the red head wanted. He needed to see the monster in Frederick again. He had to hear the sneering jeers and snobbish put downs. He could understand _that_ person it made him feel secure. Now Parcel stood there, a defenceless punching bag waiting eagerly for the blows. The temptation was crushing him, he yearned to lash out and release all the adrenaline rushing through his veins. "Yer gone crazy?" His voice shook despite himself.

But Frederick was not backing down. "Do what you must," he insisted. "What's the matter? Has your courage deserted you?"

"Shut up!" Blank warned him. "I'll knock yer into next week!"

Zidane could only stare helplessly at the two boys who had quite forgotten he was there. It had been a long time since his brother had scared him like this. Blank could be so laid back and humorous when he wanted to be. But there was another side to him; an uncontrollable side, wild and destructive like a raging fire. When Blank's temper got like this he was capable of anything. There was no way to stop him; Zidane had tried in the past and failed miserably. He'd felt the cold shoulder from Blank afterwards and it had nearly broke his heart.

There was a queer expression on Blank's face but his fists were more than ready to strike. He felt sick watching, waiting to see what was going to happen. He was back on that balcony again peering through the bars unable to do a damn thing. _I wish Baku or Marcus would come._ He felt the rough edges of the cards sinking into his fleshy palms, but remained frozen. There had to be something he could do but it was too late. Frighteningly fast, Blank drew up a fist and roared. "Ruby won't like it!" Zidane shouted in vain and covered his eyes. _Please don't!_

He waited, but there was no crunch of bone connecting with bone. It grew quiet. Tribal couldn't bring himself to look, seconds felt like hours as they ticked by. But eventually he opened his fingers just a fraction and gasped. Frederick remained standing although his face had grown significantly paler, and there, only a mere centimetre from his nose was Blank's fist. Zidane wasn't sure who looked more stunned, Blank or Parcel.

Blank's laboured breaths filled the silence. "Damn you," he said glaring at Frederick but withdrew the fist and smacked it hard into the wall behind him instead. "Yer know what, Frederick?" He shoved the young man away. "You can stuff yer revenge!"

And with that he shouldered past. Without so much as a second glance at Zidane he put a shawl around himself, and headed out into the howling wind.


	13. Trek to Treno, part three

**Chapter 13 – Trek to Treno Part three**

Blank huffed and grumbled as he strode away from the protective shelter of the lee. He didn't even notice the cold wind as his heated anger carried him along for a good ten minutes. The thief did not register where he was going or how far, he simply did not care. All that mattered was to put some distance between himself and a certain raven haired snob. _What was that supposed to be? I should've smashed his face in!_ He couldn't stand it. It felt like a wasted opportunity, one he would never have again. Who couldn't take pleasure from beating the crap out of someone like him? _Stuck up, pompous ass!_

He'd been ready to follow through right up until the last moment but then Tribal had to use _her_ name. An image of Ruby flashed through his mind, her pretty face spoiled by a horrendous shiner. He couldn't stop thinking about how scared she must have been. If he had gone through with it, how could he look her in the eye upon their return to Lindblum? In addition, Zidane would probably have sulked for the rest of the trip and that would be just damn annoying.

When he began to calm a little, he came to a complete stop and took off one of his gloves. He opened the sweaty palm to allow the wind to blow across it. He always thought that hands were odd things; nothing but wrinkled flesh with stubby sausages hanging off the ends. But they could create colossal monuments that could be seen from miles away, paint beautiful artworks and give comfort when it was needed most. He'd seen parents ruffle the hair of their children or hold their hand to keep them safe. As always though, there was another side to having hands. When you considered their capacity to cause pain for example; hands that made weapons, hands that gave signals to destroy or kill. Hands that over powered others or force them to do what they didn't want to. In many ways hands were a blessing and a curse.

Blank knew standing out here just looking at his hands was ridiculous. Then, when the first spits of rain licked his skin he scowled. _Just what_ _I don't need - a shower!_ He looked up at the grey clouds as the light rain transformed into drops the size of marbles. They pelted down instantly flattening his red spiky hair, soaking the thin shawl he'd brought to keep out the cold. He lifted up his chin to meet the chilly water and then opened his mouth to catch the droplets. He found himself reluctant to move from the spot and it was only after he sneezed twice that Blank considered the others. _I better head back before Zi comes chasing after me..._ Sluggishly he turned to walk back the way he'd come.

The rain grew even heavier cleansing the mountain of the mist that had choked it for so long. He saw clearly for the first time the weathered rocks sticking out like jagged shark teeth from the ground. As he plodded on Blank heard squelching from his boots, water seeping between his toes. _Great, I'll have to dry these out as well!_ On he went, his body suddenly very tired from the bracing walk of before. He should have stayed at the lee, at least then he could be drinking something warm. Playing cards with Zidane didn't seem so stupid now nor a roof to keep the rain off. As if to mock him further the rain turned rapidly into hail. His mood darkened, he picked up a stone with a fair weight to it, grey and rough. Feeling his temper rising again he threw the stone hard. "I hate this stupid mountain!" he cried.

His shrieking voice echoed for a while around him. 'Mountain... Mountain... Mountain' it said. Then silence followed and Blank was alone again. He pressed his back to the wall and listened to the thump, thump, thump of the hail attacking the makeshift hood of his shawl. His stomach gave a small growl. _I should have eaten more of that soup. It's that dumb snob's fault for getting me so wound up!_ It grumbled again in protest making Blank feel slightly queasy. But then another growl came from his right. This different growl sounded like it rumbled deep in the back of a throat. It repeated, louder this time.

Instinctively Blank's head twisted towards the curious sound and froze. Through the pelting ice he saw a shadowy figure. The hail bounced harmlessly off its huge green behind and countless scales shone like precious emeralds. A long tail uncoiled from its body and swept over the ground, smashing a nearby rock to smithereens. Fully awake now it roared and Blank's throat seized up as if a block of ice were stuck inside it. _Crap!_ _The old man said not here! What's a bleeding dragon doing here?!_

Foolishly he'd left his sword back at camp so he had no way to defend himself. Not that a battle here would be anything less than suicide of course. Knowing that, he slipped away quietly in the opposite direction. His legs just managed to obey his commands and before he knew it Blank was running. He fought against the wind which pushed him back. In desperation his arms stretched out, and he scrambled over loose debris that tried its best to trip him up. He didn't want to believe what he'd seen or rather what he _thought_ he'd seen, but the only thing on his mind was escape. Blank heard another roar and nearly screamed.

 _No, keep moving you idiot!_ He could hear his wheezing breaths becoming haggard and short. _It can't be!_ He kept telling himself. On and on he ran forcing his aching legs to keep going, at one point he stumbled and slammed hard into a wall. Crashing down in agony his thoughts flew to the monster. Had it followed him? He clutched his chest trying to suck in pockets of air which was nearly impossible. _This is it, I'm a dead man!_ He thought in horror. It wasn't like the fairytale Baku had told him about. No magic mountain moogle was going to save him now.

"KWEH!"

"A chocobo?" Blank choked not daring to hope that someone had actually come for him.

There came a familiar gruff voice, "Where are yer, ginger brat?" When the response was far too slow for his liking he added, "I ain't playin' Chocobo Hot and Cold here! Where the 'eck are yer?"

"I'm 'ere!" Blank squeaked, ashamed of his situation. He heard the ruffle of feathers coming closer and closer, the soft pad of the bird's feet trotting towards his position. It stopped and the rider dismounted slowly with a grunt. Baku's hairy, smelly face eventually came into view. "Boss...Boss..." it was all he could manage. _I have to tell him!_

"Stupid, little brat," Bosu shook his head with annoyance. The boy looked so small laying there like some injured bird. He heaved Blank up onto his back and carried him towards Claret. "Geez, yer need to lose a few pounds, kid!" he gasped. "What in the name of Gaia did yer think yer was doing? I told yer to stay at Hermit's Haven!"

Blank couldn't reply. The Old Man hadn't carried him anywhere since he was seven. He gripped Baku's shoulders more tightly and buried his face into the man's back. He felt warm and smelt of coffee, something about that made his lip tremble. It took all of his stubborn pride not to succumb to the blubbering there and then, but he managed it. Roughly Baku dumped him onto the chocobo, before mounting and turning around. Claret sniffed the air for a few seconds to get his bearings before galloping off back to camp.

* * *

"Dragon," Blank kept whispering between pained breaths. "There's a bleedin' dragon..."

Marcus lifted the younger boy's head carefully. "Drink it, Brother. It'll warm yer insides." As he watched Blank sip the sweet tea he frowned. This was the last piece of news he wanted to hear especially only a few hours away from Treno, and completing the job. He did believe the red head, and Baku's actions since then suggested he did too. The seasoned fighter had checked their equipment and attached the beast killer ability to each one. Not that it would have much effect on a Grand Dragon but he considered it better than nothing. There wasn't a single magic user amongst them, just a gentleman and a bunch of thieves. If they were so unlucky as to meet the wretched creature it would not be an easy fight.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Zidane demanded. They'd already stripped his friend of the sodden clothes he'd been wearing and towel dried his hair within an inch of its life. Upon taking Parcel's advice, they'd wrapped Blank up like an oversized birthday present to keep the thief from catching a chill. "Do yer really think he saw a dragon?"

"I won't lie to yer and say everything's fine," Marcus replied, keeping his voice low. Seeing the blond wince slightly tugged at his heart but Tribal wasn't a novice anymore. He needed to be prepared, and sugar coating the truth was not going to do him any favours. "Who knows what he saw out there? But one thing I know is that we have to get to Treno soon as we can." He made sure Blank finished the entire cup before moving him nearer to the fire. "As for _Mr_ _Trouble_ here, he's tougher than he looks, right?"

Zidane saw the gentle smile on Marcus' face which put him more at ease. "He sure is!" he agreed. "Seems to be gettin' dumber with old age though."

"I heard that..." Blank mumbled and everyone laughed.

* * *

When morning came, although it was hard to tell as the light was so dim, the companions set out once more. Blank had survived his ordeal with only a cold. His sneezes however were incredibly loud and made his whole body shake. Poor Cerise nearly jumped out her feathers each time her rider blew his nose.

Carefully they tread down the mountain path which had become akin to a slide due to the downpour of the previous night. Even the talons of the chocobos were having trouble gripping in certain spots. This made their progress significantly slower than it should have been. After travelling for over an hour, Baku gave a shout and they came to an abrupt halt.

"What the devil happened 'ere?" Bosu cursed. He shifted forward to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The Tantalus leader appeared to be deeply troubled by what he saw. He took out the map turning it this way and that before scrunching it back into his pocket. "Well, this complicates things!" he grumbled to no one in particular.

"What's up, Boss?" Marcus came alongside him and glanced down too. Under the cliff was a sheer vertical drop, far too steep for them to even attempt a safe descent. Below, a substantial mess of upturned earth and rock lay, suggesting a recent landslide. He surmised that this was what had taken out the pass they were meant to climb down.

Baku rubbed his eyes wearily. "Right boys, we're gonna have to backtrack!"

"You cannot be serious!" Parcel protested. "We're running out of time as it is!"

The older man gestured to the slope and then smirked. "If yer wanna fly down there go ahead, but I wouldn't if I were you!" Swiftly he turned Claret around. "Come on, we'll get there, just cuttin' it fine that's all!"

They followed Baku's lead towards the west which took them further away from Treno and back into the light of day. Frederick's increasing dismay was obvious as he grew restless and whined constantly. It seemed every five minutes he asked for another check of the map which began to grate on the nerves of all the party members.

Blank's cold, which had been rapidly worsening as the day went on, made him reconsider punching Parcel. His swollen red nose felt sore with all the rubbing and his eyes were bloodshot too. Inside his head it felt like a little Cinna was beating his brain into submission with a hammer.

"We do not have the time to be delaying like this!" Parcel complained yet again.

Baku pointed a finger at the young man. "Look 'ere, feedin' and waterin' the chocobos regularly was a condition of Ms Burgundy-"

"Do you see the bird woman here now, Mr Bosu?" Frederick opened out his arms, spinning himself in a wide circle. His hands shook with frustration, the old Parcel was trying to break through. "Surely, it will not matter to skip a single meal to get back on track? They are only chocobos, sir!"

Baku raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "For someone so smart yer got no common sense," he growled. "I'm not gonna run these birds into the ground just cuz yer getting jittery. Those chocobos are our lifeline on the mountain, don't cha understand that? If they collapse or get sick we're stuck up here!"

"This is ludicrous!" the noble's son hissed. He took a step towards Baku as if to square up to his guide.

Cinna, Marcus and Zidane gave Frederick dark looks, but it was Blank that stepped in between the two taller males. "Pack it in, Parcel!" he barked. "ACHOO!" He pulled out a limp, snotty rag which instantly made Frederick shuffle backwards. "The Boss knows what's he's doin'! Yer actin' like a baby, moanin' and carryin' on like that. Shut the 'ell up!"

Embarrassed, Frederick pulled down his shirt and straightened his waistcoat. "Who are you to lecture me?" he said angrily. Baku pat Blank on the shoulder and made his way back to the chocobos. "This is _my_ career we're talking about. The course of my entire life depends on making the deadline!"

"Can't make a deadline if yer dead, idiot!" Blank shot back but his blocked nose took away the nastiness in his words. "ACHOO!"

Parcel huffed. "You truly are a pathetic specimen of the human species, aren't you? Not even a proper handkerchief to your name!" He looked away in disgust and fumbled about in his pockets. At once he produced a white cotton hankie, sewn with fine blue lace around its frilly edges. "Here," he said sternly, "take it." The red head eyed the piece of material suspiciously but did not reach for it. It was only when he sucked in another telling breath that Parcel clamped the handkerchief forcefully to his nostrils. This left Blank with little choice but to make use of Frederick's gift. "Now then, that _most certainly_ is yours!"

Narrowing his eyes, Blank tried to think of something foul to say but another fit of sneezing made that impossible.

"Hey, how yer holdin' up?" Zidane crouched down to check on his friend. "Geez, looks kinda raw!"

Blank couldn't disagree he'd rubbed his nose so hard that he could hardly bear to have any sort of material near his sensitive skin. He envied Tribal; the wonder kid had the strongest immune system he'd ever known. In all the years he'd grown up in Tantalus he couldn't remember Zidane getting sick, ever. Ruby had mentioned once that for a child living in the Theatre District not to pick something up was incredibly lucky. He saw it more as just downright unfair.

"I've had better days," he admitted, taking a gulp of water from his tin canister. "Don't go givin' me that look, Zi. I'm fine."

The blond sighed. "Yer look like hell!"

"Cheers, that makes me feel _so_ much better!" He gave a lopsided smile. _Soft lad, getting worried over a cold!_

The Tantalus crew settled down on the grass and took the opportunity to rest themselves. They completely ignored Parcel, who to his credit had decided to take onboard Blank's harsh advice and keep his mouth shut. Out the corner of his eye he watched the interaction between Blank and Zidane, and somewhere deep inside he had to admit to feeling quite envious. The pair had no blood ties and yet their brotherly bond was a strong one. He reflected on his own family and frowned.

Upon becoming his father's heir, Francis had completely withdrawn from his elder brother. It started with missing their swordplay practises and avoiding eye contact at the dinner table. When Frederick went to confront his sibling about his behaviour Francis had swept passed him without a single word. It was as if Frederick was dead to him, a sickening result of their father's influence. He didn't want admit that it had hurt, but seeing his little brother change so rapidly had cut him to the core. How could his own blood just turn his back on him so easily?

Parcel felt sick inside, he continued to watch as Zidane poked fun at Blank. A strange longing welled up within his chest. He flipped open his satchel and took out a small glass pot, then he stood and slowly walked over.

"What do yer want, baby? Come to have another go?" Blank sneered.

He held out the small pot of salve. "Rub this in," he instructed stiffly, "it will prevent cracked skin and any bleeding."

Blank dipped a leather finger into the gloop and studied it. The green slimy ooze was not exactly appealing. "Yer not a doc yet, ya know. What's this supposed to be?"

"A composition of beeswax, olive oil and rosemary leaves."

Zidane leaned over. "It smells nice! Wow, yer can make potions and stuff already? That's pretty awesome!"

"You seem surprised." Frederick cocked his head to one side. "Before I was able to apply for university I gained some experience with Doctor Sullivan as he went about his rounds. I've learnt that combining certain herbs and ingredients can ease discomfort. I actually have a repertoire of around fifty different recipes and potions now."

Blank continued to stare as the slime trailed down his finger. "Uh huh, like am gonna rub some random gunk on my face! How do I know yer not tryin' to turn my face blue or somethin'?" Then he paused to sneeze once more. When he tried to dab at his nostrils rather than rubbing them it became clear he was in more pain than he let on.

"Don't be a stubborn ass. Give the medicine a try!" Zidane pleaded.

Parcel added to the monkey tailed boy's argument. "It works wonders on sore skin, I promise you."

Looking at them both, he wondered which was the lesser of two evils; applying the ointment for peace and quiet or sticking to his guns. The thought of both Frederick and Zidane constantly on his case like a pair of nagging wives made the thief scowl. _I suppose I've got nothing to lose!_ He thought as he took a small blob and rubbed it into the tip of his nose.

It actually had quite a soothing effect and his confidence grew. _Maybe Parcel does have some uses apart from winding people up!_ Blank smothered the gloop all over and waited. This time however a curious tingling began, especially underneath his nostrils. He winced slightly as the tingling evolved into more of a burning and stinging sensation. Then suddenly his hazel eyes went wide. "What have yer done to me!" he cried.

"Calm yourself!" Parcel grabbed his wrists and held on. "If there is stinging it means the treatment is working-"

"What was all that crap about easing discomfort?!" Blank screeched yanking his hands out the gentleman's grasp. "Yer lying toerag!"

"Blank! Blank, you okay? Do yer wanna wash it off ?" Zidane panicked not quite sure what to do to help.

The red head pushed him away. "Leave it, just leave it!" he growled. "Ow... Ow!" He sucked in a sharp breath trying to bare the pain. He could feel his eyes beginning to water and screwed up his face. "That stuff is nasty!"

"I'm sorry, what was that about acting like a baby?" Frederick asked whilst crossing his arms.

"Yer knew it would do that, right?" Blank accused him. He was still fighting the urge not to wipe the salve away.

The raven haired man nodded. "Of course, the stinging has died down now I trust?"

Strangely enough Parcel was right about that. Blank found the burning had stopped and was replaced with a more tolerable throb. "It's working?" he said in surprise.

"Yes, although you will need to apply more to get the full benefit. The initial sting is unpleasant as your skin has become so dry due to the natural protection being rubbed away. The beeswax in particular acts as a barrier to prevent further irritation." Frederick looked up. "I wouldn't expect a mere thief to comprehend the complexities of... You're not listening are you?"

Indeed, Blank didn't hear Parcel's in depth explanation as he was far too engrossed in slapping more of the healing salve onto his nose.

"I think he likes it now!" Zidane grinned widely. "Ya did good, doc, first patient a complete success!" He saw the young man freeze for a moment. "Yer okay?"

Frederick swallowed. "Yes, I am quite well," he assured him but still turned away.

"Break time's over!" Baku gave the signal for everyone to mount their chocobos again. With a loud chorus of 'warks' and 'kwehs,' the company headed back to the mountain pass at full speed.

* * *

By noon, the detour had brought the travellers and their steeds to a flat plateau. The grass here mostly grew tall and luscious, aside from some odd yellowy patches. They were high enough to see the mist beginning to form and they knew it wouldn't be too long before the mountain was engulfed again. Baku calculated they weren't too far from Treno distance wise, but trying to descend had become a challenge. Due to the main route being impassable they had been forced to use some of the lesser known paths. Ms Burgundy's map proved to be out dated in this area; for no sooner had they made their way down, they had to come back up again as the way was blocked. Some paths led to dead ends, others to long drops which infuriated the Tantalus leader. The temptation to sell his very soul for an airship was increasing but he refused to give up.

Everyone showed signs that they just wanted the job to be over. Parcel had become depressed, no longer voicing his concerns. Cinna slumped all over Blush, his body giving in to home sickness and Marcus' fangs were bared more than usual. Blank sniffed and blew his nose, whilst Zidane had stopped humming altogether. Baku had never seen his boys looking so pitiful. He thought about giving them a stern talking to but it wouldn't solve the problem. They needed to get to Treno, pure and simple.

In sheer boredom Zidane had taken to watching the clouds to occupy himself. There were so many different shapes and sizes; he made out rabbits with huge floppy ears, horses' hooves and swans with long, delicate necks. Some were thin and streaky whilst others resembled puffed up cotton balls. They were all moving at a steady speed which he guessed meant a strong wind was blowing up there. He'd spotted a few birds flying between them and he wished more than ever to be on the Prima Vista sailing the skies. _It won't be long now!_ He told himself then glanced back at the cloud resembling a rabbit. There was another bird flying over which he hadn't spotted before. He focused on it. It was moving very quickly parting the clouds like a knife through butter. Scarlet had taken an interest too and stopped suddenly.

"What yer doin' now?" Zidane moaned at the chocobo but the bird's onyx black eyes remained fixed to the skies. He could feel Scarlet's tail feathers quivering much like the hairs on his very own tail. Behind him Marcus came to a standstill as well and Tribal swivelled around to face him. "Hey Marcus, what's that bird over there?"

Marcus didn't reply. He flexed his muscular arms which were decorated with strange green lined tattoos that stretched from his shoulder all the way to his knuckles. The gobin - like man scratched his left ear thoughtfully, the one that looked like someone had taken a bite out of it. His breath hitched. "Boss!" he gave a sharp shout as he reached to his side and unsheathed his sword. "Zi, that ain't no bird. Yer better prepare yourself!"

"What?" Zidane didn't understand.

"Get those daggers out!" Marcus boomed at him, "And get away from the edge!" As Crimson nudged Scarlet further in there was an almighty roar from above. The thief bared his large fangs and glared at the intruder. "Damn, it found us!"

The Grand Dragon flapped its enormous ruby red wings. It seemed a miracle that such a monstrous creature could actually fly, but those powerful wings beat steadily until the dragon turned sharply in the air. It swooped down over their heads making the chocobos scream and flap in terror.

Scarlet shrieked before starting to buck and jump wildly. "Hey, calm down! Calm down!" Zidane tried his best to sooth the bird but when the Grand Dragon roared again, the youngest chocobo threw him off. The blond thief could only watch helplessly as his steed ran in chaotic circles before abandoning him on the plateau. "Get back here!" he yelled but Scarlet had already left a trail of dust in his wake. Zidane pushed himself onto his hands and knees. The dragon was coming back for another pass, its beady yellow eyes studying their every move. _Blank was right all along!_ He still couldn't believe it. Out of all the monsters Tantalus had ever fought this had to be the biggest and the meanest.

He heard Baku shouting orders to the group and everyone obeyed without question. They began to dash towards an outcrop in the rock, the only place they could find to hide from the monster. He still felt a little dizzy from the fall but forced his jelly legs to stand. Soon another chocobo came to stand beside him.

"Zidane, you okay?" Cinna offered his hand to pull the child to safety.

As the blond clamped his arms around the blacksmith's middle, he tried to shake the woolly cobwebs from his mind. "Yeah, am alright, but Cinna, what are we gonna do?"

Cinna pulled sharply on Blush's reins and headed straight for the others. "I haven't the faintest idea, never thought we'd actually be attacked by one of those darn things!"

"Why is it here, anyway? Baku said-"

"The Boss was wrong and now we're all gonna die!" the fear in his voice bordered on hysteria which made Tribal extremely nervous. The poor man was literally quaking in his boots.

When they reached the others hiding behind the rock there was no further sign of the Grand Dragon. Baku's eyes were darting from one section of sky to the other. He turned around as well surveying the mountain trying to predict what the sly creature might do next. When he saw Zidane he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Good job," he told Cinna absently in a rare moment of praise. Like a crocodile swimming in a river only his eyes and nostrils could be seen peeking over. "Boys, don't let yer guard down. Far as that dragon's concerned we're lunch so runnin' ain't an option here."

"What's the plan, Boss?" Marcus whispered next to him.

The Tantalus leader hated having the pressure piled up like this, but his crew needed him to be decisive right now. _What am I supposed to do now?_ If it were a plain fight on flat land with no chocobos to consider the battle plan would be a simple one. Fighting on the mountainside with an airborne enemy, that was tough even for a skilled bounty hunter. The boys had skills - after all he'd taught them everything he knew. They had a strong instinct for survival and would rather put up a decent fight than be dragon food. But the chocobos were a different matter entirely; they were not battle hardened, he saw what happened to Zidane and it had shook him hard. If all the riders were thrown off as each chocobo panicked they would be in serious trouble. He closed his eyes mulling over the options.

"Mr Baku?" Frederick tapped his shoulder gingerly. "This is my fault, I had no idea such a dangerous creature existed. Forget about Treno. I don't expect you and your men to die for it. We should hide in the mountains until help arrives."

Baku shook his head and laughed. "Until help arrives? Gwahahaha! Whose gonna send a rescue party for the likes of us?"

"My father-" Parcel began but was swiftly interrupted.

"Your daddy won't do nothin,'" he grumbled. "What reason has he got? Think about it! We could 'ole ourselves up in a cave until the water runs dry or hunger drives us out. What then? We make a break for it? That dragon would gobble up our charred hides! Look, I get it seems like a smart idea but I ain't gonna be trapped like some animal and fall straight into its jaws!"

Parcel took a shuddering breath feeling the wind knocked out of his sails. "But we must do something!" he pressed. He saw the chocobos huddled together quivering uncontrollably. The Tantalus boys were tense and uncertain, their faces grim. _I want to preserve life not be the cause of death!_

"Hey, a Tantalus always gets what he sets his eyes on!" He stared directly at Parcel as he said this. "If yer wanna be a doctor then yer gotta fight to live that dream. We ain't lettin' no dragon stop us and neither should you!"

Frederick's mouth opened and then shut again. _I have sorely misjudged you!_ He glanced at the pack of thieves and for the first time since he'd met the Tantalus Troupe he felt unworthy to be alongside them. _I've misjudged you all!_

"That bastard won't know what's hit him by the time we're done!" He saw Parcel's startled expression and winked at him. "Just stay with the chocobos and keep an eye out. We'll take care of the rest!"

* * *

 **Author's notes -**

I decided to end this chapter before the dragon fight as it was getting a little long! I'm really looking forward to writing the next part though...

Thank you to all who have taken the time to review, and welcome to all who have hit the follow button!

As you can tell I'm a big fan of Final Fantasy 9 and the Tantalus gang. I hope these 'tales' have been able to give a unique insight into these characters in the spirit of the world of Gaia. If there are any other recent FF9 story writers out there get in touch! I'd love to have a read of your tales.

To those who have added me as a favourite writer - what are you thinking?! However I take it as HUGE compliment and I will keep writing until I feel Tantalus Tales has come to a natural close.

All the best

Otwl


	14. Dragon Attack!

**Chapter 14 – Dragon Attack!**

The roar of the Grand Dragon had Zidane gripping his daggers like a lifeline. He strained his neck trying to find out where the source of the sound was coming from, but the mountain's echoes were playing tricks on them. His heartbeat was a drum playing to the rhythm of his fear, body tense and coiled ready to spring out at any given moment. Tribal forced himself to take slow breaths through his nose. His body wasn't sure what to do, it was strangest feeling; one minute he wanted to run back towards the caves, and the next, he wanted to plunge his dagger into the creature's neck. _If it's between him and me, then he's the one going down_! he vowed to himself.

Many monsters had fallen at his own hand since joining Tantalus, but he'd never felt any remorse about killing them. But now, _they_ were the ones being hunted by a dragon, and he suddenly began to appreciate what it might have been like for those creatures. Did they feel a noose steadily tightening around their necks? Could they see death coming, but fight against it anyway? This dragon could easily wipe out everything he cared about in the blink of an eye. Zidane felt a stab in his heart just thinking about it.

"Gee, Zi, you look about ready to throw up!" Blank's voice sounded strange under the confines of his soggy handkerchief.

"Hey, like you're any better!" He came to crouch shoulder to shoulder with his friend. Blank was trying too hard to project an image of perfect calm, but his quivering shoulders gave him away. "Look man, it's gonna be okay."

"Shut up, idiot." Blank's eyes were glued to the skies. "I know that!"

Suddenly, there was another almighty roar that silenced them both, as the dragon burst through the clouds, and came swooping towards them at frightening speed.

"Hit the deck!" Zidane felt himself being pulled sharply to the floor. Tongues of fire seared over their heads as they ducked just in time. The surrounding tall grass caught ablaze and a carpet of bright orange flames began devouring the landscape. The heat was so immense it licked at their faces making them retreat backwards on their stomachs.

By now, the Grand Dragon had decided to halt the assault. In mid - air it stayed, beating its powerful wings just enough to stop landing on the ledge with them. For a long while it stared at the group, golden eyes shining.

 _Is that thing smiling at us?_ Zidane scowled. He didn't like it; at least the creature could have the decency to look slightly put out by a group of thieves armed with daggers and swords. _Even a dragon should think twice about snacking on lunch that can fight back, right?_ He closed his eyes and counted to ten, then opened them again, but no, amongst the haze of the burning grasses the dragon was still there.

"Get ready for another blast!" Baku warned as its large mouth opened wide. Instinctively, everyone hit the dust. The horned beast drew in the surrounding air, the suction so powerful that it inhaled smoke and debris from the plateau as well. Its stomach swelled to twice the size, becoming rounded like a ball.

It was here, nose deep and shaking in the earth that Zidane jammed his fingers into his ears. If he couldn't hear what the dragon was doing, then maybe it would stop the trembling in his legs. He hated waiting like this, it reminded him of when Ruby deliberately blew up balloons until they popped. The prospect of a loud bang was always worse than the noise itself.

Then suddenly there was a sharp dig in his ribs. "Aww, what was that for?"

The Grand Dragon gave a great big yawn and when it was done, the set of gigantic jaws snapped shut.

"What the 'eck is it doing?" Blank muttered. "Why doesn't it just attack already?"

Now it gave a huff, blowing smoke rings through its nostrils. Two narrowing eyes surveyed left and then slowly to the right. The entire group stopped breathing unsure what to do. In the end, it was the dragon who broke the staring contest. It snorted what sounded like laughter before taking off and flying out of sight towards the west.

All at once, everybody remembered to breathe and then slumped. The bundle of nervous energy that had built up in their muscles had nowhere to go, and worse still, was the promise that this wasn't over.

Parcel hugged the rock face wishing he could be anywhere else. "Thank goodness, it lost interest." He swallowed, pulling at the sticky collar of his shirt. It didn't help to ease the tightness in his throat, but at least he could feel the breeze on his skin.

"If yer daft enough to believe that Fred..." Baku gave a deep sigh. "...then yer deserve to get eaten! It was just getting the lay of the land, lookin' for escape routes, sizing up the meat and anything that might do it damage." He looked over at the chocobos still huddled together. "We need to get movin' and fast!"

It took a lot of effort to convince the remaining chocobos to leave their current spot, but handfuls of gysahl greens seemed to help. The company were forced to walk along the path for a while, as the large red birds were far too jittery from their ordeal with the dragon to take passengers. Unfortunately for Zidane, there was still no sign of Scarlet.

Marcus gave him a sympathetic smile but shook his head. "I think yer might have to accept he's gone." Tribal pulled a face. "Come on, it wasn't your fault-"

"He'll be back. Just you wait and see." Zidane corrected him and wouldn't be told otherwise.

Meanwhile, Parcel had decided to start up a debate with Baku about the finer points of dragon theory. He seemed to have recovered from the shock of before and was chattering excitedly.

"Mr Bosu, you speak as if dragons have some form of superior intelligence. But my textbooks say they're nothing but mindless savages, driven by the instinct to hunt."

"I'm no dragon expert, Fred but dragons are smart, no matter what some bit a' paper says. They're killers, and they'll have yer soon as look at yer. That's what monsters do."

Blank sniffed. "What textbook are yer on about, anyway? Oh wait, yer mean bedtime stories more like! Ain't yer a bit old for stuff like that, Parcel? Do yer sleep with a dolly too?"

"Tsk, a Bestiary of Beasts by Lord Reis is a collection of professional studies about monsters on the Mist Continent. It was a favourite of mine..." to which he hastily added, "...when I was _very_ young."

The red head blew hard into his hankie, making a loud, disgusting sound that seemed to stretch on forever. "Whatever you say," he said finally, his lips tugging at the corners.

"Well, would you mind explaining then with your _extensive knowledge_ on the subject, how one _does_ go about killing a dragon?"

Immediately, that wiped any hint of a smile off the red head's face. It was a very good question, and one which he'd never had to think about before. For all their talk, nobody in Tantalus could claim they'd killed a Grand Dragon. "That's easy," Blank lied, but grew silent.

The older boy waited. He saw one of the buttons of his shirt dangling loose on a thread and pulled it free. Placing the gold disc into his waistcoat, he declared, "I see your smart mouth is about as useful as ever!"

Blank glared at him. "I told yer, it's easy! Yer stab it... in the heart, everyone knows that!"

"Stab it in the _heart_?" Frederick repeated slowly. "Well, that would be rather convenient, wouldn't it? There is however, one small problem regarding your hypothesis." Upon seeing Blank's utter confusion, he crossed his arms in a smug fashion. "I may have lived a sheltered life in your eyes, but it appears I am far more observant than you."

"Just get to the point already!"

Parcel wasn't quite ready to show his hand just yet. Making Blank angry had become his new favourite past time, and he wanted to draw out the moment. "Oh all right," he relented, "the dragon we just observed had yellow scales across the entire breadth of its chest. Now, is there anything special about dragon scales that you can recall?"

It took a little time for this question to sink in, before Blank growled with frustration. _Dragon scales are impenetrable!_

"Ah, the proverbial penny has dropped at last."

They could try to pierce the dragon's heart but their weapons may as well be tooth picks. Blank knew Parcel was right, however, he would never admit it. In the end, Blank acknowledged him the only way he knew how. "Jus' shut yer mouth, smart arse!"

Baku, who had been listening with amusement, cleared his throat. "Boys, this is about survival. We don't have to kill the bleedin' thing, ya know."

"Then what'll we do, Boss? What if it comes back?" Zidane looked up at him with his monkey tail swishing back and forth.

 _If I had the answer to that, do yer think we'd still be here?_ he thought grumpily.

Suddenly, Blush gave a shrieking cry and was quickly joined by the other chocobos. All the birds began to stamp on the spot and flap their wings, growing increasingly agitated. The great din forced the travellers to cover their ears, but they couldn't understand why the birds had gone completely crazy.

"Hey, it's Scarlet!" Zidane shouted and felt a small flutter of joy. _He came back after all!_ He could see Scarlet, who was headed directly towards them at full speed. In fact, he could honestly say that he had never seen the chocobo shift so quickly. Then the joy he'd felt drained out of his body, like water slipping down a plug hole. Scarlet wasn't alone.

"Dr...Dr... Dragon!" Cinna screamed, and bolted from behind the boulders.

Whilst the blacksmith had lost his wits, Baku grabbed several of the chocobo reins and attempted to drag them to safety. Marcus quickly followed suit, and Blank took charge of Cerise as best he could. Alas, Blush was proving to be a problem, as she fought against the Tantalus leader. Her large talons pushed him away and she pulled hard at the restraint. All the while, her squawking continued, rising in pitch and building to an unbearable crescendo.

"Zidane, help me get her under control!" Baku yelled. When the child didn't respond, he snapped in frustration, "Tribal get over here!" and then froze. Zidane was nowhere to be seen. _For the love of Gaia..._ He lifted his head to look back at the mountain pass and grimaced. Sure enough, there was the monkey tailed boy running straight towards certain danger. _I'm gonna kill 'im!_

Leaping over rocks, and with his boots slipping on the gravelly path, Zidane made a beeline for Scarlet. He knew he'd be in big trouble with the Boss when he got back, but he didn't care. He could see his chocobo zig zagging frantically along the road. The dragon was snapping and snarling at Scarlet's back, flying close behind him. If a chocobo could look scared, then this one was nothing short of terrified. "I'm comin' buddy, just hold on!" Zidane promised.

If he'd expected a heart warming reunion, then he was going to be sorely disappointed. The chocobo gave the human nothing more than a fleeting glance before continuing to dash past him.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Tribal moaned, watching his 'loyal steed' yet again, abandoning him at the worst possible moment. He turned around to face the Grand Dragon as it landed. The ground shook; a plume of grey dust gathered around its clawed feet. His thin, scraggly shadow was instantly swallowed up by the dragon's bulky form. "Hi there, big guy!"

The dragon opened its jaws and roared angrily. It made his hair flap about his ears, and a foul odour invaded the air. The stench was akin to meat that had been left rotting in the sun, mixed with the undeniable sting of sulphur.

"Woo! Serious case of bad breath you've got there!" he said, trying to waft away the smell from his sensitive nose. "You ever tried brushing yer teeth?" Zidane rolled to the side as the monster's tail swung down in a hammer strike. He got up and tried to maintain the distance between them. _So, how am I supposed to hurt this thing?_ he thought, flipping backwards to avoid the snap of deadly teeth. _Oh, wait I know!_

When the dragon made to snap at him again, Zidane jumped high onto the bridge of the creature's snout. He took his pair of daggers and plunged them either side into its nose, the resulting shriek from the dragon could be heard for miles. It started to shake its head violently in an attempt to throw the thief off. Tribal held onto the handles as a world of blue and green spun around. One of the blades slid free, so he twisted the other more deeply into the flesh. This was rewarded with another piercing scream. The spiked tail whipped at Zidane as he was jerked back and forth. It didn't take long for the tail to find its target, and the resulting force smacked the boy clean away.

Tribal landed heavily rolling over and over until he came to a stop on his back. It was a small miracle that he'd managed to keep hold of his daggers, but the price was the intense pain now shooting down his left side. _That wasn't a smart move..._ He winced and made to clutch his calf which was throbbing. Any second now, the dragon would come and his little bones would be crunching and grinding inside that colossal, smelly mouth. _At least Scarlet's okay_. he tried to think on the bright side. _I would have liked us to be friends though._

"Zi, Zi!" He felt the breath of someone bawling in his face. "Idiot, what the 'ell do yer think yer doin?" Zidane smiled for a second, feeling the warmth of the sun on his closed eyelids. "Is he okay?" the voice asked someone nearby. "He looks kinda kooky!"

Zidane felt pressure on his chest and then his chin being tilted back to open his mouth. "He's experiencing symptoms of concussion I expect, but still alive." It was Frederick this time, he was sure of it. "Mr Tribal, can you hear me?"

"Name's Zidane..." he protested with a pathetic slur. Then, he felt the collar of his shirt being pulled.

"If you're gonna pick fights with dragons, then yer can at least be awake to help!" Something slapped him hard across each cheek. "Wake up, damn it!"

Zidane blinked, and upon opening his eyes he could see Parcel holding back Blank, who was preparing to hit him again. "Hey, what's up?" he mumbled.

"That!" Blank replied, pointing his shaking finger towards the dragon.

Not so far away, the Boss and Marcus had taken it upon themselves to go on the offensive. In comparison to the size of the Grand Dragon they looked like small children, but this didn't deter them in the least. Baku pulled out his iron sword, and right by his side, Marcus placed stones into a leather sling and started to swing it around in a tight circle. They didn't say a word to each other, and yet it was clear that the men knew exactly what they were doing.

When Marcus let the stones fly they went directly for the pair of golden eyes. There was an explosion, which was followed by a familiar roar. Afterwards, when the smoke had cleared, there were black patches over the creature's eyelids.

 _Whoa, they managed to blind it?_ Zidane tried to stand up, but a stabbing jolt down his left leg reminded him of his injuries. He could only watch, as Baku took the opportunity to jab at the leathery skin stretched over the hard bones of the left wing. It didn't take long for Marcus to draw his own falchion sword and join him. They sliced into the wing until finally a hole had been pierced right the way through. Next, they began hacking at the wing's joints, which were made of dense bone.

The dragon may have been blinded, but that didn't mean it would simply allow the humans to tear it apart. It spun wildly, knocking Baku off his feet before using its keen sense of smell to locate the enemy. Marcus was forced to kiss the ground as the spiked tail swung too close for comfort. It came away with his red bandana, waving it like a flag.

Baku tried to scurry away on his elbows, but his large body was making it harder than it needed to be. The dragon's mouth drew close and he greeted it with a hefty kick. _You ain't gettin' no piece of me!_ The dragon was forced to back off. Wasting no time, he dragged himself up, and made his getaway.

Meanwhile, Blank had come to assist Marcus and the companions had their work cut out for them. The skin membrane on the other wing had started to thicken becoming more like rubber than flesh. When he pushed the dagger down with both hands it sprang back and wobbled. Even with Marcus' help it was impossible to puncture.

Marcus pondered whether this could be a natural defence mechanism. They were supposed to blind the beast, clip its wings and scarper. It irritated him thatthe plan wasn't going to work anymore however, they had to conserve their energy. He tugged at Blank's arm. "Bro, we've gotta try somethin' else." And with that, they leapt out of harm's way.

Everyone regrouped. By this time, even a shame faced Cinna had arrived carrying his precious hammer.

"Where are the chocobos?" Baku demanded.

The blacksmith looked distraught. "I couldn't hold them down," he said. "They've all ran away!"

"Fantastic, now we're blinkin' stranded!"

The dragon turned, drawn towards the irate voices. It gave a low rumbling growl and paused, as if contemplating its next move. The veil of blinding darkness, which had been such a barrier to its hunt, began to lift. Upon seeing sunlight once more, the Grand Dragon was able to see the full extent of the damage to its wings. The left had tattered flaps of skin and jagged bone sticking out. Outraged, the monster locked eyes with the group of thieves. The fire in its belly bubbled and churned.

Marcus frowned. "Er, Boss... It's lookin' right at us."

But these words were too little too late, for soon after the Grand Dragon opened its jaws and a stream of purple, green and black gas jetted out. The dragon's vile breath swamped Baku and Marcus, and instantly they fell to their knees.

Zidane saw them desperately clutching at their throats. It was as if they were drowning right in front of him. "What's going on? What's happening to them?"

"I don't know!" Blank panicked, unable to tear himself away from the Grand Dragon. He tried not to think about the tongues of fire that would come if they didn't move. Yet, the more he tried to push the thought away the more vivid it became. He imagined the flames, rolling and twisting before him. His whole body shirked away from the imaginary heat.

Zidane saw the dragon charging towards them with its large front claws swinging. "Blank, get out the way!" he yelled. But it was no good, his friend wasn't responding.

 _Scrash scrash!_

The dragon swung left and then right with incredible speed, but its vicious claws connected with something unexpected – a hammer.

"Yer like that? I've got plenty more!" Cinna piped up as he deflected the blow. He readjusted his hat which had slipped over his eyes. Looking across at an opened mouthed Zidane, he laughed. "What's the matter?" The blond was completely stunned. "Don't be goin' soft on me now!" He then turned and smacked Blank hard around the back of the head. "And you can wake up an' all, sleeping beauty!"

The physical jolt was enough to snap Blank out of his daydream. He saw Cinna and then remembered the others. "The Boss... Marcus... "

"Frederick's got it under control. Worst case of venom I've ever seen though, so we have to hold the line until they get back on their feet, alright?"

Venom was a status effect known to paralyze travellers and cause their health to deteriorate rapidly without treatment. It could be mistaken for poison and in such cases, when medicine was not given immediately, the unfortunate victim would die. Happily, a simple antidote or remedy was usually enough to reverse the symptoms.

Blank and Zidane peered up at their older Tantalus brother with a mixture of gratitude and disbelief. Even though Cinna could be such a wuss sometimes he'd come to help them when it mattered. They could get back on track; everything was going to be okay.

Unbeknown to the group, towering vertical clouds had started to gather overhead. They grew steadily darker, becoming a foreboding wash of grey and black that seemed to swirl in anger. The air around them became hot and humid, with particles of dust and small stones beginning to roll away. A yellow light glowed from the dragon's chest, and great bolts of lightning crashed down from the skies. Zidane cried out as the electric energy hit his comrades full on making them fall lifelessly to the ground.

"Blank!" he croaked, but no sound came out.

The Grand Dragon stomped nearer and nearer to the monkey tailed boy. Its eyes focused on the daggers in his hands, the weapons that had taken sizable chunks out of its snout.

Zidane had been taken by surprise, and his thoughts became a muddle. He wanted to fight, run and scream all at the same time. His training was supposed to prepare him for events like this. Baku had always told him that no matter how dire things seemed, it was important not to give up. But his family were lying there and he was alone now. _I don't want to be alone!_ And his courage flew away with a binding fear taking its place.

He could feel tears threatening to erupt. _No, no, no!_ He hated crying. He hated looking at himself in the mirror with those pathetic red streaks rolling down his cheeks, evidence of weakness. _What am I gonna tell Zenero and Benero?_ _Ruby'll be..._ He couldn't even feel his daggers anymore, everything was going numb.

The Grand Dragon came closer and he knew that the beast had been biding its time, waiting for the chance to make the kill. It didn't rush; slinking steadily forward, licking its lips with anticipation. Slowly, it opened its enormous mouth and tilted its head slightly to the left. _I have to move!_ He willed his body, unfortunately, nothing was happening. Tribal could see the monster's teeth up close, and they were smeared with dried blood. _I don't want to die!_ The muscles in his arms and legs clenched, just as the dragon lowered into position to swallow the human up whole.

It was then, Zidane could feel himself falling away from a flash of striking red. His brain tried to process the images in front of him however, it was like wading through treacle. There was a delay in his senses; sounds and sights were unclear, even the smell of the grassy plain wasn't as strong as it had been before. _Scarlet?_

The chocobo's tail feathers stood bolt upright and shook rapidly. It let out a loud screech, and flapped its wings in front of the dragon.

 _What yer doing here, boy?_ Zidane wondered dumbly.

At once, there was a stream of fire; a cascade of yellow and orange, even streaks of blue. Tribal couldn't help but admire how beautiful it looked sailing through the air. He followed the trail until he realised the direction it was taking. Then Zidane's admiration turned to horror, as the dragon fire consumed Scarlet. He tried to scream again and reached out with both hands. When he landed, the wind was knocked out of him. He gasped in pain as reality clicked mercilessly back into place.

Nobody would have blamed the eleven year old boy if he'd shut his eyes, but Zidane did not. He saw everything. He saw the chocobo's body being reduced to ashes. He heard the deafening thud which followed, as the bird's wrinkled and smoking corpse dropped dead to the ground.

 _Scarlet? Scarlet?_ Continuing to stare at the unrecognisable heap, Zidane was reminded of the chicken steaks that Baku was so fond of at the Twin Moons. He always had the meat so overcooked that it was charred black, encrusted with the remains of a dark sauce that looked like sticky tar. His stomach lurched at the memory, and then he was hit by another horrendous smell, the stench of rotting eggs. It wasn't coming from the body; it was the stray burnt feathers drifting soundlessly from the sky. Their curling blackened edges were succumbing to the fire that had set them ablaze. _I didn't even know feathers could burn,_ he thought stupidly, and then shook his head. _That bastard..._ He glared at the dragon with a hatred he'd never felt towards any living creature before.

Parcel had just about managed to pour an antidote down Baku's unwilling throat, when he witnessed the dragon stalking Zidane. Never before had he felt so powerless. The first born of Lord Charles Parcel had always held the cards that could dictate and manipulate the behaviour of any man. This wild dragon however, could not be bought with wealth. The Grand Dragon did not care for title or position, you could not reason or barter with it, all attention was solely focused on its prey.

He looked towards Marcus who had taken a bunch of phoenix downs from his duffle bag. The thief released the power of the down feather, making a soft glow of golden light appear around Cinna.

Within seconds the blacksmith was wide awake and wondering what had happened. "Take it easy, Cin. I've brought yer back from the brink." Marcus explained, as he reunited his confused comrade with his missing hat and hammer.

"Sure, yer won't hear any complaints from me," Cinna replied. It wasn't the first time that his Tantalus brothers had brought him back, each time left him feeling light headed and woozy. Such were the after effects of phoenix feathers when cheating death. He began to take in the full scale of his surroundings until he spotted the dragon too. "Oh hell!" he exclaimed, "the little guy's in big trouble!"

"Zidane!" Blank gasped and tried to run. He made it as far as perhaps two metres before his legs caved in from under him. Two strong arms picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. Even without looking up, he knew who it was.

"Always in a rush to get somewhere," chided Marcus under his laboured breath.

"Geez, yer don't have to treat me like such a kid!" The red head crossed his arms and glared at Marcus. He hadn't realised, but the red bandana that the fanged thief favoured was missing. It was very rare to see Marcus' bald head, which he covered religiously every day. _Did the dragon eat it?_ he thought, when they came to an abrupt halt. "Hey, what gives?" But Marcus didn't reply and so he was forced to crane his neck in the same direction. After failing to comprehend what it was he _could_ see, Blank asked, "Erm, your seein' what am seein' for real, right?"

"I think so." Marcus' reply suggested that he wasn't entirely convinced either.

Zidane had begun to glow an intense shade of pink and white, it was so bright that both companions had to squint uncomfortably against the glare. A spotlight of electric blue appeared, illuminating the monkey tailed boy. Beams of pulsing white with jagged tails of purple and pink energy radiated from his body.

By this time, Marcus had settled Blank down on his own two feet again. They shared uneasy glances as a curious whirring sound began to get louder and louder.

"The dragon's pullin' off an attack!" Blank shouted, clamping two hands over his ears.

But Marcus disagreed. "That ain't the dragon, it's Zidane! Something's happening to him!"

Finally, there was a loud _whoosh_ accompanied by the blinding flash of a brilliant, white light. Zidane's body transformed so that his entire body was covered in thick pink fur. He pulsated with the same pink and white hue from before. The Grand Dragon didn't appear to enjoy the light show however, and had retreated backwards. It snarled and roared at the alien form, which remained steadfast in its presence.

Tribal brought the pommel of both daggers together. "Mors tua, vita mea!" he declared, and then drew them apart in one swift motion.

"What the?" Blank's mouth dropped open. He'd never heard the language before. Even in Lindblum, where the mingling of different cultures was a way of life, he was certain that no species had spoken in such a strange tongue. _Zidane, what is all this?_ His body felt so cold, like a block of ice had frozen inside the pit of his stomach. He sneezed a few times and couldn't help but start to shiver. "Zi!" his voice trembled.

"Stay back," Marcus grabbed his shoulder instinctively. "You don't know what's going on here. That's a whole lot of energy he's building up and you don't want to get in the way."

Blank shirked him off angrily. "That's _Zidane,_ remember? He wouldn't hurt nobody! What's wrong with you?"

"That ain't the Zidane we know," Marcus said. In his irises flashes of eerie pink and white were reflected. For the first time since they'd taken Zidane under their wing, he actually felt afraid of the younger boy. He'd never seen anything like this before. This wasn't natural at all.

Then Blank pushed him back. "Yer dunno what yer sayin'! He's a Tantalus! One of us!" He ran from Marcus ignoring his pleas to come back. "Zidane!" he shouted, "Zidane!"

But the blond couldn't hear him. "Et thadal flamma!" he bawled with threatening finality.

White symbols appeared on the ground making some form of elaborate inscription. Blank shook his head in disbelief; the letters again were unfamiliar and strange to him. Then from nowhere, waves of intense fire rumbled into life. Zidane allowed them to build, generating more and more power making the ground shake.

 _Where is this coming from? How's he doing that?_

"Mortem ut quod draco!" In that moment, Tribal unleashed his flames upon the Grand Dragon. When they connected, the monster cried out in torturous agony. It was a burning sphere, shrieking and thrashing about as if trying to escape from the flames somehow. It didn't take long before the dragon ceased to move at all, it burned quickly, becoming smouldering remains.

Blank skidded to a stop and looked down at the smoking mess that had once been called a Grand Dragon. Its skull had been stripped back to bone white, and even now, it grinned mockingly at the two humans. There was very little left in the way of scales and flesh, but the smell was awful. "Zidane, what did you-"

Silence came at once, Tribal turned his head to acknowledge his comrade, but he was a different person. His usually friendly blue eyes were cold and lifeless. He stood taller, his posture elongated and stiff. The blond seemed to have aged, no longer looking like the child he'd grown up with.

"Cut it out, Zi, it ain't funny!" Blank hissed. Then he started to cough over and over.

But Zidane didn't smile or burst into laughter, this was no practical joke. He raised his index finger pointing directly at the red head. "Quia venit tempus," he said, the words sounding like a vow.

Blank didn't like the sound of that, whatever _that_ was. "Hey, snap out of it, idiot!" But Zidane showed no sign of emotion, like a statue he simply stared through Blank like he was nothing. At his wits end, Blank shoved Tribal hard. "Don't you get it?" he started to whimper. "I just want us to go home!"

This seemed to break the spell, for Zidane began to blink rapidly as though waking from a dream. His eyes widened when he recognised his friend, but then he collapsed.

By now, the rest of Tantalus had arrived along with Parcel. They found Blank bent over Zidane's body, coughing and cursing. It took both Cinna and Marcus to prise him off and allow Parcel to get a good look. The would-be doctor had never come across such strange events before, he wasn't even sure if there was a scientific explanation. _Patient comes first_ , he reminded himself, _I can always investigate another time..._

A short while later, Frederick came to tell them the news. "He'll be fine," he concluded. "There will be some severe bruising down his left leg, but nothing broken. He collapsed due to exhaustion, not surprising really after the amount of energy that came out of him." Then he chuckled. "I have to say, that was incredible! I've never seen such phenomena, can you all transform like that?"

"No," Baku replied shortly. He didn't know what to make of this transformation. He'd assumed that the kid he'd picked up at Lindblum Harbour was just some regular orphan with the same old sob story. _Zidane, where the 'ell did you come from?_ He took a short sip from his hip flask trying to calm his nerves. After tasting the liquor however, he thought he deserved a much larger gulp. "I ain't never seen anything like that before, Fred. Yer probably best forgettin' all about it." Parcel wanted to protest, but when he saw the stern look on the thief's face he knew better than to argue.

Bosu knew things looked bleak for Tantalus. After all that effort, the dragon's corpse had yielded little more than a few teeth. With the chocobos gone, they barely had any supplies and no way to get down the Aerbs Mountains safely. In a few hours it would be nightfall, signalling their failure to get Parcel to Treno in three days. He sighed and shoved a hand into his pockets. The sound of jingling gil could be heard before he pulled out a small pouch. This, he held out to Frederick.

"I don't understand..." Parcel stared at the money in confusion. "That was the money for your fee," he said.

"Aye," Baku agreed. "Look, I'm sorry we let yer down."

Frederick shrugged his shoulders. "Keep it, Mr Bosu, with my eternal gratitude." Then he smiled at the older man.

Baku never thought he'd see the day when Parcel was literally ripping the shirt off his own back to make bandages to treat his boys. "You've grown up a bit, Fred," Baku said, returning the smile.

They sat together in silence for a while, occasionally looking up at the flock of birds making their way to the south. Baku reflected how Lindblum would be preparing for the Festival of the Hunt as was custom for the time of year. Crowds would be watching from the roof tops and city walls as monsters were let loose, the districts would become a temporary hunting ground for anyone with a decent weapon. Looking across at an unconscious Zidane, his heart sank. The festival was one of the boy's favourites. Every year he would ask if he could take part and Baku kept putting him off saying 'maybe' next year. _With powers like that he could take down a whole herd of zaghnols!_ he thought scratching his chin, then he shifted his gaze elsewhere.

Blank lay groaning in his sleep, begging for water, but they had none left to give him. There was no way to bring his fierce temperature down, and this frustrated the Tantalus leader no end. To survive a dragon attack only to succumb to illness was cruel. Blank was the one that Baku had never worried about. He'd been born a fighter; he clung to life so tightly to the point of strangling it. Now it seemed he was slipping away by the hour.

"Never thought it would end like this," Baku said honestly. Below, he could make out the twinkling lights of the city of Treno, so close and yet so painfully far. "Don't seem right for a kid to die before an ol' man."

Parcel hung his head wearily. "I thought the same thing when I first heard about Ollie. That's why I wanted to become a doctor."

"Well, I hope yer can convince the folks in Treno to give you another chance."

Parcel had actually considered his appeal to the university council. He wanted to explain himself and the events that transpired to prevent his appointment. But then, he imagined the faces of the doctors and scholars changing from interest, to amusement within seconds. _'Well, Mr Parcel, we certainly haven't heard an excuse quite like that before! A dragon, you say?'_

He couldn't help but smirk at the thought. "Perhaps, we shall see."

"Boss!"

Baku closed his eyes in the hope he'd only imagined his name being called. "What's the matter now?" he grumbled. "Can't a man be left alone for five minutes without dealing with some blinkin' crisis?"

Cinna was too happy however, to be put off by a snappy temper. "Boss, yer won't believe this! Yer gotta see this!" And with that he skipped away.

"I wonder what he's found." Parcel's curiosity was piqued and he followed the skipping blacksmith. When he turned the corner, all his Christmases had come at once.

"It's Blush!" Cinna said cheerfully, patting the female's head. "If yer take her down the rest of the way, yer might be able to get to there in time!" He took a knife and began slicing through the ropes attaching the supplies.

"It's miraculous!" Frederick exclaimed. "But what about Blank? He's got a fever for goodness sake!"

Cinna looked at the ropes in his hands and smirked. "I've got an idea about that!"

It didn't take long for the thieves to tie Blank and Parcel together. Luckily, Blush didn't seem to mind the weight of two riders, and after a quick feed she was more than ready to go.

"You must never tell Blank that I agreed to this freely." Frederick stiffened at the thought.

Marcus couldn't help the grin spreading from one ear to another. "You do make a cute couple," he teased, "think Ruby might even get a little jealous!"

"Yer better make it, Fred." Baku didn't even try to hide the threat in his voice. "After everything we've bleedin' been through today!"

Parcel nodded and took the reins with confidence. "I will ensure that Blank receives medical attention, and then come back for you," he promised.

"Yeah, yeah." Bosu replied with hooded eyes. He wanted to believe what the young man told him, but he also knew the distractions of Treno. "Good luck!" They all watched as Blush's wagging tail feathers disappeared into the distance, along with their hopes. "Let's head back to the caves," Baku told the others. "We're gonna have a _long_ wait…"

 **Author's notes –**

Zidane's transformation is basically describing trance in FF9. I thought it would be fun if I could give some hints about Tribal's background in this chapter too. I hope that I haven't confused people by swapping perspectives around too much, but a lot was going on!

All the best!


	15. Treno

**Chapter 15 – Treno**

At the dockyard, Cinna stretched his weary bones as the last chocobo trotted up the ramp and into the airship. He took a gysahl green from his sack and held it out to Blush, whom he'd grown quite fond of after all their adventures. "I'm gonna miss you, old bird." he said, giving her a tickle behind the neck. Blush chewed the vegetable automatically, but remained quiet. Cinna gave a large sigh. "Hmm, she's still really down about Scarlet. Do you think she'll ever get over it?"

A taller man came to stand beside him. "Time heals all wounds as my wife used to say. Still, it doesn't make things any easier." Closing the gate to the chocobo pen, he secured the latch and then clapped the dust from his large calloused hands. "I think that about wraps things up here."

"Not quite, Mr Trent," Cinna corrected, and handed him a letter and a small box. "You'll need to pass these onto Ms Burgundy."

Trent eyed the items suspiciously. "And what is this supposed to be?"

"Compensation and an explanation?" Cinna replied not sounding entirely convinced himself. "The Boss is kinda occupied right now. He's not coming."

"What's that?" The pilot snarled, thrusting the items back at Cinna. "If that old wind bag thinks am taking the flak for his stupidity, then he's got another thing coming! Where's the slimy git? I'll set him straight, asking a favour from an old pal and he tries to land this one on me!"

Cinna didn't appreciate the sudden invasion of his personal space. Smelling the man's coffee loaded breath, and bearing witness to impossibly long nose hairs made him feel queasy. "Heh, heh I really don't think that was the intention…"

"Course it was! Now, where is he hiding?"

As much as Cinna wished, Trent wasn't going to leave Treno until he'd had it out with the Boss. He hated being messenger, things never went to plan as Baku promised. And it was always him that got the brunt of the abuse. He'd been spat at, threatened and even punched in the face once. It was like he had the word 'doormat' tattooed on his head, and he'd had about enough. "Fine, fine, this way."

As the men made their way back up the steps, they failed to notice two hooded figures emerging from behind the hay bales. After checking no one had seen them, they slipped out into the city of eternal night.

* * *

Marcus smiled broadly as he stood outside an imposing building. The iron work was a series of twisting vines and spirals that set off the warm, ruby glow of the lanterns perfectly. Trickling water fountains could be heard, as was the tooting of a horn when announcements were made. The Card Stadium was the largest on the whole Mist Continent, with architecture that left tourists drooling and filled the nobles of Treno with immense pride.

Marcus turned to his companion who was overwhelmed by the structure. "You ever been to a place like this before?"

"Of course not! Surely you remember what I told you about my father?"

To their left, the registrar - a beagle with a yellow pointed hat, was checking her papers at the desk. She glanced up at the them briefly before returning her attention to the spidery scrawl.

It was always like this. Marcus had tried in the past to be polite, enquiring about the evening weather for example, or giving a curt cough. However, the members of staff were sometimes a little hard to win over. So now, Marcus leaned heavily on the counter and pressed uncomfortably close to her and grinned.

"Can I help you…sir?" she asked, deliberately leaning around Marcus to the younger man standing beside him.

This shocked Frederick for a moment. "Oh, there appears to have been some misunderstanding… I'm not even a member of this establishment!" It wasn't as if he were dressed in a fine suit, his simple shirt and trousers could only be called smart at best. Even so, the receptionist appeared to be treating him with far more respect than poor Marcus. It was then, that he saw the thief place a shiny gold card on the worktop.

With a look that could sour milk instantly, the receptionist met Marcus' smug grin. "Well, that changes things somewhat."

"Sure does," he agreed with hooded eyes.

The disgruntled beagle took out a large stamper and two tickets. She stamped them with far more force than necessary and bid the pair a very curt good evening.

Parcel followed Marcus through the large archway into a very different world. From the ceiling, chandeliers sparkled with light and he was blinded by them. He slowed down a little to navigate his descent down the carpeted steps into a gigantic hall. The strong smell of piped tobacco, hit him along with finer scents of perfume drifting by. He heard the tinkling of glasses on a tray, and the clicking of waitresses' shoes as they did their rounds of the tables.

"Mr Marcus, what was on that card?"

He smiled back. "You're gonna find out that Treno is just a whole bunch of contradictions."

To Frederick, it always seemed as if the thief delighted speaking in riddles. "I do not fully comprehend."

"Don't matter. You wanted to take a break, right? Got your playing cards?"

"Er…Yes… But I hardly believe I am ready to take on world class players!" To this, the older man shrugged his shoulders and continued to move through the crowd.

There were many tables in the stadium, mostly set up as one on one games. Some of the other players were taking part in Black Jack and Whist for a change. The atmosphere was charged, so many people enthralled and enchanted by Tetra Master. Parcel was stopped and asked about a drink, which he declined. Marcus however, ordered two large beers for table 7.

"Can't be taken seriously if you sit there without a drink," he warned.

Frederick raised an eyebrow. "Contradictions indeed! How can one remain alert and focused on the game if they become inebriated? It defies logic itself!" He wasn't expecting Marcus to laugh so openly in his face. "Well, I hardly see what's so amusing!"

Marcus put a conspiratory arm around him and pulled him closer. "If you ain't got a drink, it makes the other players think you're not stickin' around. If they think you're not stickin' around, they won't bet their best cards." He finally released Parcel and continued walking ahead.

Through the smoke, Frederick was surprised to find the clientele of the stadium to be incredibly varied. There were the nobles dressed to the nines in gold and jewels, and other players that looked very rough in comparison. He came across a woman with green hair for example, had a full facial scar that stretched from one ear, across the bridge of her nose and back to the other ear. The weapon of choice she carried was nothing less than a battle axe with a rather unfriendly jagged edge. Frederick couldn't help but wonder where he'd seen such a character before. He dodged to the side to allow a large bear to shuffle past, before enlightenment struck him. _The wanted posters around town!_ _Wasn't her bounty something like five thousand gil?_ Yet no one in the entire stadium seemed remotely interested in her.

They found their table over in the corner, and Marcus sat down. Parcel, who was privy to sitting next to Marcus, tried to learn as much as he could. He was hypnotised by the cards and the way every game was so different. The thief played a few rounds with an elderly hippopotamus who eventually lost a prized Behemoth card with attack points F. Another opponent included a dwarf who was lulled into a false sense of security by winning the first match, and then proceeded to be beaten constantly after. From him, Marcus obtained a duplicate of his white dragon card, although quite how the card had been copied so quickly was a mystery.

"How did he train to be so good?" Frederick said aloud in wonder.

One of the spectators gave a snort behind him. "You a first timer or something?" It was a boar with two sharpened tusks pierced with golden rings. "Haven't you ever heard of Card Shark Marcus?"

"Card Shark Marcus?"

The boar shook his head making the golden rings jingle. "Your friend there, he's one of the big guns. Been coming to this stadium for as long as I can remember, won the Card Tournament at least seven times and even beat the Regent!"

"The Regent? As in, the Regent of Lindblum?"

"Hey, even officials need a break now and again!"

They were soon drawn back into the card game. Marcus appeared to be in a spot of bother however, with most of his hand turned blue. If he carried on like this, he'd be beaten in a perfect game and lose all the cards he'd played.

"Excuse me, you drinking that beer or wearing it as an accessory?" A waitress jolted Frederick out of the action. She was a pretty brunette with one hand firmly attached to her hip. "We could do with the glasses, ya know…"

He rediscovered the pint glass that he'd been cradling for the past hour. "Oh! My sincere apologies." And without even thinking, downed the whole beverage. He placed the glass onto her tray, and turned his attention back to the game.

By now, the dwarf was rubbing his tiny hands with glee. In only two moves this match would be his. His opponent appeared to be in deep concentration, no doubt trying to think of a way to escape defeat. But the dwarf knew better, he had waited for the opportune moment to take control. He cared not about Card Shark Marcus' reputation. As far as he was concerned, a player was only as good as their next game. He placed his final card on the grid, and began to stretch out his hand to take all the cards on the board as his own. However, a larger hand clamped around his wrist.

"Bit eager, aren't we?" Marcus said. "I haven't played my last card!"

The dwarf snatched back his arm. "Ye're as good as dun!" he protested. "Ye dinnae have tae get sae roof!"

Despite the dwarf's obvious annoyance, Marcus took out one final card. He placed it in the bottom right corner of the grid and smirked with satisfaction. Nothing seemed to happen straight away, but suddenly one blue card glowed and became bright orange. As the battles continued, each card was overcome until a chain reaction was unleased. The single orange card transformed four in a single line. The line of four became an orange cross, and then spread even further until the entire grid was claimed. A great cheer erupted around Marcus' table. The winner scooped up his cards and shuffled them back into his increasing collection.

After a time, the queue of people to challenge Marcus began to die down, and he invited Frederick to sit in the opposite chair. "We've got some time to kill, wanna practise?" He saw the young man's brows furrow together. "Come on, I'm not gonna rob yer blind!"

"Is that right, _Card Shark Marcus_?"

Despite his reservations, Frederick did play. He'd improved a lot since playing with Blank and Zidane on their journey through the Aerb Mountains. They chattered a little about the university and how the medical training was coming along. The doctor in training found the never-ending lectures exciting, but ultimately exhausting too. It was one the reasons he'd agreed to come out with Marcus, to take his mind off the stress.

"So, how's your lady friend doing? Victoria?" Marcus had just claimed an Alexandria card with arrows in four corners. Not a bad starter card, but there were much better ones that he'd spotted in his partner's pile. Frederick was holding back on purpose.

At this question, Frederick's eyes softened ever so slightly. "She is well, thank you. I believe she is gaining more publicity for the workers and even the unions are showing interest. It sounds most promising!"

"You gonna invite her to Treno?"

The cards in his hands shook suddenly. "Surely, you jest? Whatever for?" He took a large gulp of his second frothy beer, which was nearly empty.

"Don't you want to keep in touch with her?"

"But we exchange letters every week!" Parcel began defensively, "It is not as if we are…" Suddenly, he glared at Marcus. "What business is it of yours anyway?" The thief gave a fanged grin at the young man's expense. It looked like Parcel was about to storm off, but instead he sank back down resting his head on his elbows. "I do miss Vicky," he admitted almost in a whisper.

It was true, receiving those letters were often the highlight of his week. She had a very fine hand and the pages were scented too. They shared successes in her life and gave welcome news about the city. All of this however, was just impersonal chit chat that she could say to anyone. But when Frederick had told her about the dragon attack, her following letters had become very different. Underneath a heavy pretext of concern, there were words and phrases that she had never written before. The whole tone of the letters sounded more affectionate. He wasn't sure how to respond, so had written nothing back.

"I wouldn't know what to say," he confided after another beer. Evidently, Marcus had a new career as a councillor. "We've known each other since we were children. I used to make fun of her freckles for goodness sake!"

This revelation made Marcus snort but he recovered quickly. "Hey, people change. At the end of the day, you have to take happiness when you find it. She ain't gonna wait around forever."

Parcel sighed in agreement. "The female of the species… You seem to speak from experience."

"Maybe."

"Care to share?"

Marcus scooped up his cards. "Nope." He ignored the pouting face of his companion. "It's about time we went to check on our favourite patient."

Outside, the air had grown chilly. Frederick buttoned up the neck of his jacket and turned up the collar. He walked briskly passed the young fir trees wondering how any vegetation could survive without the sun. The benches where the nobles liked to have their afternoon tea, were empty. A light breeze made the yellow and green parasols flutter, the only sound, aside from the trickling water.

They didn't have too far to go, as The Rising Star was located on the waterfront. Marcus gave the innkeeper a quick wave and headed down the corridor. He gave a knock and upon hearing a grumbling greeting, entered the room.

Inside, Blank was leaning against the window, staring out at the bright lights of the city. He had a large blanket wrapped about his shoulders. The young man had recovered from the raging fever, but there was still a wheezing from his chest that troubled him.

"How you doin' today?" Marcus asked, leaning against the wall.

"What do you think? This sucks!" Blank snapped back.

"It won't be for long."

"I'm fed up of being stuck here. I want to go and see Zidane!" He began to cough again, his throat burning with the constant irritation.

Frederick set about his business, carefully pouring some hot water from the copper kettle. He took an herbal remedy from his pocket and added the ingredients, before thoroughly stirring. After that, he handed Blank the steaming cup. "Take this," he ordered. The red head took a peek at the contents, which turned out to be a mint green liquid with a pungent smell.

"No way," he said, holding the cup at arm's length.

Frederick grinned evilly. "You are beginning to act like a child again. Do you wish to be healed or not?"

"Course I do! Just don't want to be a guinea pig to a stuck up, doc wannabe, that's all. Yer think I'd forget you nearly burnt my nose off last time, Parcel?"

The memory brought a smile to Frederick. "Whether you believe me or not, I do have your best interests at heart. Do no harm is a part of a doctor's sworn oath, after all."

"Yeah, do no harm, my arse!" But Blank snatched the medicinal cocktail anyway. His face screwing up as he forced himself to finish every last drop. It was perhaps the biggest compliment Frederick had ever had from the thief. "That was gross," he said, sticking his tongue out.

"Well, medicine is hardly meant to taste like chocolate!" Frederick retorted.

Blank shuffled back to his bed. "Like I know what chocolate tastes like." He propped the pillows a little higher and rested his hands behind his head. "So, Marcus, have yer heard anything from the Boss, yet?"

It had been over a month since their ordeal in the mountains. With the loss of two chocobos, weapons, items, inn rooms and food, the bills were beginning to rack up. Parcel's payment would cover a little, but this was Treno. The longer they stayed here, the worse it would get. Sure, they could pick pocket a few nobles to make ends meet, but this wasn't their territory. The thieves in the slums might have a few words to say about unwelcome competition, and they couldn't afford to be attacked right now. Not to mention, the number of guards around the city would make things even more tricky.

Because of this, Baku had taken it upon himself to disappear. Marcus knew the Boss had some errands and would come back eventually, however, this was taking far longer than even he expected. Then there was the mystery of where Zidane was supposed to be. He thought they were happy enough at The Rising Star, but the next morning both Baku and Zidane were gone. There had been the odd message left at the front desk, along with a small bag of gil to keep them going, but it revealed very little.

"Sorry no, wish I had better news."

"What does the Old Man think he's doing, anyway? It doesn't make any sense, just taking off with Zi like that. I mean, he wasn't gonna die or anything, right?"

Frederick nodded. "He had bruising and a bad sprain at most. Bed rest would be recommended, but certainly nothing life threatening. Perhaps I could make some enquiries, and see if anyone has heard about the whereabouts of Mr Baku? Or perhaps even a monkey tailed youth?"

"You've done enough," Marcus said, shaking his head. "You need to focus on your studies, not get involved in our mess."

"But even so, I would still like to assist. It would play on my mind terribly should anything foul befall either of them." Blank began to stare. "What?! Why are you gawping at me again?"

The red head didn't have an answer. His mind couldn't process that Parcel had volunteered freely to go and look for members of Tantalus. "Thanks, man." The words shot out of his mouth before he could take them back. _What the hell was that?_ he thought, horrified. "Erm, I mean…"

Looking equally shocked, Frederick was the first to recover. Such a comment sounded dangerously like respect, which he knew was impossible because this was well, Blank. He smoothed a hand through his raven hair. "Obviously, the illness is causing confusion in your little weak mind. Maybe you should be a good boy and have a nap, hmm?"

"I don't need a nap, _pretty boy_. I need to find Zidane!" Blank had never been more grateful for an insult. "If yer gonna help, then go do it and stop buggin' me!"

"Tsk, so ungrateful." Frederick huffed as he went to leave the room. "You haven't changed at all," he said, but his lips were already curling into a smirk.

After he'd gone, Blank turned onto his side. It felt strange relying on someone who wasn't a member of the troupe. _Geez,_ w _e've been at loggerheads for so long._ _When did I decide he was okay?_ The realisation made his stomach churn, he wasn't sure if he could take being 'nice' to Parcel from now on.

"Don't sweat it." Marcus' voice drifted over from the window, as if he knew exactly what his brother was thinking. "Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah, I guess - still weird though." He turned onto his back. "Do yer think he'll find something about Zi?"

The older man looked thoughtful. "Who knows? Treno's a big city, Zidane and the Boss could be anywhere."

* * *

Meanwhile, Zidane had regained consciousness and felt like a deflated balloon. His arms, heavy and floppy were trapped beneath tight bedsheets. In vain, he tried to open his eyes but it was as if someone had sewn his lids shut. After several attempts, his only reward was the growing sensation of a nasty headache. _Where am I?_ he wondered.

"Zidane…"

His body tensed. The voice sounded like the dry cracking snap of a burning kiln. But as he listened his own body began to feel colder and colder. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd seen or heard anything from outside his dreams. And what dreams they were; an entire world that pulsated with a queer blue light. It was an alien place, where he saw himself standing on a bridge overlooking a river, except the water wasn't moving. Zidane had seen rivers bursting with life with gold tailed fish swimming and jumping into the air. Rivers were meant to be alive, they made sounds, but here it was completely silent and still. The spiralling mosaic paths tinted with mother of pearl seemed to stretch on forever, and trees that looked like mushroom plumes towered high above him. _Do I know this place? I feel like I do._

"Zidane…" the voice returned. "My angel," it said, "my angel…"

 _What are you saying?_ However, the more Zidane tried to remember the more the words slipped away. He could do nothing and sank helplessly back into his deep slumber.

The next time he became aware, Zidane was banging his fists against toughened glass. He was sure there was someone on the other side watching him, but it was hard to make them out as the bubbles kept distorting the image making it warped and strange. "Who are you?" he tried to say. A shadow flickered, they could hear him. "Let me out!"

"My angel…my angel…my angel…"

He didn't care who it was, they couldn't keep him here. "Damn it, let me go!"

"Hey, Tribal!"

"Let me go!" Zidane screamed. "Let me go! Let me go!"

Baku nearly jumped out of his skin when the boy gave such strangled cries. He wanted to go over and shake him awake, but he found himself hesitating. The door looked increasingly tempting, but there was a part of him that just couldn't leave.

He glanced around and saw the glass vase on the window sill. The beautiful lilac tulips that had stood so pleasantly before were thrown onto the floor. Heavy boots trampled on their delicate bodies as Baku strode over to the bed and dumped the water on top of the screaming dreamer.

"Cut it out!" he bawled and took five large steps away from the bed. His hands clutched the vase tightly against his chest like a shield.

At last, Zidane responded. "Whoyersa? Whoyersa? Whereyame?" Then he felt his soaked nightshirt and water sliding down his face. "Whyomoweta?" He kept blinking over and over trying to see where he was.

Bosu growled. "So, yer finally decided to join the world of the living."

A turn of the head found the Tantalus leader right by the door. "Oh, hey Boss!" Zidane piped up cheerfully and then cocked his head. "So erm…whatcha got there?"

Bosu looked down at the vase he was still holding. "Nothin,'" he said hastily, setting it aside.

An awkward silence spread between them. _He's being weird._ Zidane thought trying to sit up a little straighter, but a sudden jolt up his leg made him wince. "Okay, ow. Won't be trying that again." He looked down at his arms which were covered in bruises and scrapes. "Geez, why am I so beat up?" Baku didn't offer any explanation and remained by the door.

"Boss, help me out here, would yer? I'm really confused!" Zidane tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "Have I done something wrong?" Maybe he'd messed up really bad somewhere and he just couldn't remember. Zidane braced himself for a scolding from a parent, however the man did not move. He refused to even look Tribal in the eye. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? Whatever dumb thing it was, I'll make it up to everyone!"

There was still no response. Baku did look up but behind those goggles it was difficult to read him at all. This silent treatment made the hairs on Zidane's tail stand on end. He'd prefer a slap over the back of the head than this. Suddenly, the unwelcome stabbing in his right temple made itself known again. He sucked in a painful breath.

Baku took a step forward but stopped himself. "Tribal," he said heavily, "we'll be needin' to part ways."

"What?!"

The large man crossed his arms. "You heard me."

"Very funny, Boss! Yer had me going there for a minute!" Zidane gave a light chuckle, of course Baku was just pulling his leg. Tantalus was his family, they'd lived in the clock tower forever, they were going to travel across the world in the Prima Vista together.

"I'm sorry, kid." Baku wavered, but his telling hand was already curled around the door handle. "Jus' the way things work out sometimes."

 _No, don't go. Don't leave me alone._

As the door clicked shut, Tribal struggled to digest what had happened. For a few moments, he simply sat there shaking his head in disbelief. "He can't be serious. There's just no way..." Then he was struck by an icy cold wave of terror. He clawed at the sheets and scrambled out of bed. Zidane managed to get within a metre of the door before his weak leg collapsed and landed with a hard thud. _This ain't happening._ On his belly, he snaked closer and closer until his cheek banged against smooth oak wood. Despite his leg screaming bloody murder, he forced himself to reach out. _If I could just reach it!_ His sweaty fingertips slipped as he tried to turn the handle, once, twice and a third time he failed. At last, he managed to get a grip and pulled hard… only to find the door was locked.

"What have I done wrong?!" he screamed. "Damn it!" He punched the solid wood instantly regretting the action as his whole body swayed and toppled over.

Zidane stayed down on the floor boards, beaten. His chest hurt so badly, like there was a deep gash right across his heart. He couldn't fathom what this new emotion was; all he knew was that Baku Bosu, the man who was the closest he'd ever had to a father, had just abandoned him.

* * *

 **Author's note -**

Wow, this update has been a long time coming! So many changes to Fanfiction too, and one of my favourite stories has disappeared! Such a shame. I hope that you enjoy this latest instalment of Tantalus Tales.

All the best -

Otwl


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